Lockheed laid keel for LCS 15

Lockheed Martin has laid the keel for the US Navy's fifteenth Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) at Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wisconsin, the company announced on 2 November. 

The LCS 15 is the future USS Billings. Like the rest of the fleet, the vessel will be outfitted with interchangeable mission modules to conduct various missions, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and mine countermeasures.

The industry team building Billings has delivered three ships and has seven other ships in various stages of construction and testing. The future USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) is due to be commissioned in Milwaukee on 21 November.

Joe North, vice president of littoral ships and systems, Lockheed Martin, said: ‘The LCS platform is proving the navy's concept of operations with its flexibility in supporting a broad range of missions, from anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare to mine countermeasures. This industry has shown it can adapt to meet the navy's most challenging missions, anywhere in the world.’