• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

LCS-20 Cincinnati

The Navy commissioned its newest Independence-variant littoral combatship (LCS), the future USS Cincinnati (LCS 20), during a 10 a.m. CDT ceremony Saturday, 05 October 2019, on the west pier in Gulfport, Mississippi. The principal speaker was Rep. Brad Wenstrup of Ohio. Former Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker served as the ship's sponsor. The ceremony was highlighted by a time-honored naval tradition when Pritzker gives the first order to "man our ship and bring her to life!" "USS Cincinnati and her crew will play an important role in the defense ofour nation and maritime freedom," said Secretary of the Navy Richard V.Spencer. "She stands as proof of what teamwork -- from civilian to contractorto military -- can accomplish. This fast, agile platform will deliver her motto, 'Strength in Unity' worldwide thanks to their efforts." The future USS Cincinnati is the fifth U.S. Navy ship to honor Ohio's third-largest city. The first was a stern-wheel casemate gunboat that served during the Civil War and was sunk by Confederate fire on two separate occasions. Raised both times and returned to service, she was decommissionedfollowing the war. The second Cincinnati was a cruiser commissioned in 1894. She served extensively in the Caribbean before, during, and after the Spanish-American War before being decommissioned in 1919.

The third ship to bear the name was a light cruiser commissioned in 1924 that served aroundthe world and earned a battle star for World War II service that included convoy escort and blockade duty. She was decommissioned in 1945 after the war ended. The fourth Cincinnati was a Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine commissioned in 1978. The boat served for 17 years before being decommissioned in 1995.

The U.S. Navy held a keel laying and authentication ceremony for the future USS Cincinnati (LCS 20) at Austal USA’s shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, 10 April 2017. Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and ship’s sponsor Penny Pritzker authenticated the keel for the 10th Independence variant of the littoral combat ship class during the ceremony. While keel laying traditionally represents the formal start of a ship's construction, advanced modular shipbuilding allows fabrication of the ship to begin months in advance. Today, keel laying continues to symbolically recognize the joining of the ship's components and the ceremonial beginning of the ship.

LCS seaframe program manager’s representative, Navy Cmdr. Chris Addington, commended the Austal USA shipbuilders at the event. “Through the hard work and dedication of the men and women of Austal, this keel will be built up to a highly capable Navy ship,” he said. “Thanks to all of you for your efforts to complete a great ship that will exemplify its namesake city.”

Cincinnati will be approximately 418 feet in length, with a width of nearly 104 feet. LCS is a modular, reconfigurable ship designed to host interchangeable mission packages onto the seaframe in support of surface warfare, mine countermeasures, and anti-submarine warfare. The Navy’s LCS class consists of the Freedom variant and the Independence variant, designed and built by two industry teams. The Independence variant team is led by Austal USA and the Freedom variant team is led by Lockheed Martin. Both variants are being purchased under an innovative block-buy acquisition strategy. There were currently 13 LCSs under construction.