The U.S. Navy will commission the future USS Beloit, a freedom-variant littoral combat ship, on Nov. 23 in Milwaukee.
The naming honors the contributions that the city of Beloit, located on the southern Wisconsin state line, has made to the U.S. Navy, such as the engines built at its Fairbanks Morse plant, which includes the USS Beloit’s own powerplant. The ship, the 29th littoral combat ship to be built, is designed as a fast, optimally manned, mission-tailored surface combatant that operates in near-shore and open-ocean environments.
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The Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Northeastern Wisconsin produced the ship. Founded in 1942 along the Menominee River in Marinette to meet the country’s growing demand for naval construction, Fincantieri Marinette Marine has since grown into a world-class shipbuilder, having designed and built more than 1,500 vessels.
After its commissioning, the Beloit will leave Milwaukee and depart for Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida.
Lockheed Martin is serving as the prime contractor for the soon-to-be USS Beloit.
The LCS shipbuilding program has been dogged by design flaws, mechanical failures, repairs – especially early on – and cost overruns since it began 20 years ago.
The ship’s sponsor, retired Army Maj. Gen. Marcia M. Anderson, will lead the time-honored Navy tradition of giving the order during the ceremony to “Man our ship and bring her to life!” At that moment, the commissioning pennant will be hoisted and the Beloit will become an official ship of the Navy’s fleet.
Anderson, a Beloit native, in 2011 became the first Black woman to be promoted to Army major general. She retired from the Army Reserve in 2016 after a 36-year career serving in multiple command and leadership positions, including as Army Reserve deputy chief, where she oversaw an $8 billion budget and more than 220,000 soldiers and civilians.
An attorney by training, Andeson was employed by the United States courts for more than 25 years and served as clerk of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, where she was responsible for two offices that manage and administered bankruptcy cases for 44 counties. She retired from that role in 2019.
The ship’s commissioning ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. on Nov. 23. The ceremony will be livestreamed online starting at 9:45 a.m.
