US Navy receives future USS Nantucket LCS 27 from Lockheed Martin.

According to information published by the US DoD on July 30, 2024, the Navy officially took delivery of the Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Nantucket (LCS 27).
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Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Nantucket. (Picture source: US government)

The vessel was handed over by Lockheed Martin at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin, following the successful completion of Acceptance Trials in December 2023. The USS Nantucket is slated for commissioning later this year and will be homeported in Mayport, Florida.

The LCS-class ships are fast, optimally manned, and mission-tailored surface combatants designed to operate in both near-shore and open-ocean environments, addressing 21st-century coastal threats.

Looking ahead, two more Freedom-variant ships are under construction at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard. The future USS Beloit (LCS 29) is expected to be delivered in the summer of 2024, and the USS Cleveland (LCS 31), the final Freedom-variant LCS, is nearing completion.

The LCS-class supports forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence. These ships can operate independently or within high-threat environments as part of a networked battle force that includes larger, multi-mission surface combatants.

The LCS program includes two variants: the trimaran-hulled Independence variant, built by Austal USA, and the monohull Freedom variant, constructed by Lockheed Martin.