Navy to Commission Littoral Combat Ship USS Beloit

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Beloit is the 15th Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) commissioned in the United States Navy and the first U.S. Navy ship to bear this namesake.

The Honorable Tony Evers, Governor of Wisconsin, will deliver the principal address at the commissioning ceremony. Remarks will also be provided by The Honorable Tammy Baldwin, U.S. Senator from Wisconsin; The Honorable Gwen Moore, U.S. Representative for Wisconsin's 4th District; The Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy; Admiral James Kilby, Vice Chief of Naval Operations; and Mr. Ali Ruwaih, Vice President of Small Combatants and Ship Systems, Lockheed Martin.

The ship's sponsor, retired Army Maj. Gen. Marcia M. Anderson, a native of Beloit, Wisconsin, became the first female African American officer to earn her second star in the U.S. Army Reserves. After 37 years of service, Anderson retired in 2016 as Deputy Chief of the U.S. Army Reserve. Her previous assignment was Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Human Resources Command. Noting Beloit's long history of supporting national security-both by providing personnel who serve and by helping to build the ships and vehicles that make our military the envy of the world-Anderson expressed confidence that the USS Beloit and her crew will become an integral part of our nation's history.

"USS Beloit (LCS 29) reflects many of the engineering and weapons improvements that the littoral combat ship has gained since the Navy first began operating these ships," said Secretary Del Toro. "When it receives new capabilities, such as the Naval Strike Missile, it will sail even more confidently in contested waters. The ship's namesake honors the contributions of the people of Beloit, Wisconsin, to the U.S. Navy, including the Fairbanks Morse plant, which built engines that power many of the Navy's ships and submarines."

The LCS class consists of two variants: Freedom and Independence, which are designed and built by two industry teams. Lockheed Martin leads the Freedom-variant team (odd-numbered hulls) in Marinette, Wisconsin. Austal USA leads the Independence-variant team (even-numbered hulls) in Mobile, Alabama.

Littoral combat ships like Beloit will be equipped with the Over-the-Horizon Weapons System (OTH-WS) Naval Strike Missile (NSM). The OTH NSM provides the U.S. and its allies with long-range anti-surface strike capability, as well as increased coastline defense, deterrence, and interoperability.

Littoral combat ships are fast, optimally manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, defending against 21st-century coastal threats. LCS ships integrate with joint, combined, manned, and unmanned teams to support forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions around the globe.

The ceremony will be livestreamed at www.dvidshub.net/webcast/35146. The link will become active approximately ten minutes prior to the event at 9:50 a.m. CST.