WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy christened and launched the latest in its series of Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) on Saturday morning in Wisconsin.
One day soon, that vessel will bear the name of the city of Cleveland.
The christening of LCS 31 took place in a ceremony at Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wisconsin. Robyn Modly, wife of former Acting Secretary of the Navy and Cleveland native, Thomas B. Modly, will break a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow to symbolically christen the ship.
"This christening is a significant milestone for the future USS Cleveland, the ship's sponsor Mrs. Robyn Modly, and the prospective crew," said Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro. "LCS 31 will be another step closer to joining our fleet, sailing the open seas, continuing to defend our nation, and representing the strong connection our Navy has with the city of Cleveland."
The city of Cleveland was also represented at the ceremony by senior policy advisor Austin Davis.
Once LCS 31 is commissioned by the Navy, it will become designated as the USS Cleveland, the fourth vessel to be named in honor of Cleveland. Previous USS Clevelands were the World War I cruiser (C 19), the World War II light cruiser (CL 55), and the Vietnam-era amphibious transport dock (LPD 7), decommissioned in 2011.
Following its commissioning in Cleveland, which is slated to take place next year, the USS Cleveland will head south to Mayport, Florida to join Littoral Combat Ship Squadron TWO.
The keel for LCS 31 was laid in 2021 in Wisconsin. Robyn Modly was also present for that occasion as the ship's sponsor, a Navy tradition given to a female civilian to bestow good luck and divine protection over the seagoing vessel.
Lockheed Martin, designer and builder of the Freedom-variant LCS, describes it as "a resilient, flexible warship, designed from the keel up to affordably take on new capabilities including advanced sensors, missiles and cutting-edge cyber systems. Its speed, strength and versatility make it a critical tool to help sailors achieve their missions." Learn more about the LCS below.