Shipbuilding
Navy Commissions Final Littoral Combat Ship as Controversial Program Comes to an End
The U.S. Navy commissioned USS Cleveland (LCS 31) on Friday in Cleveland, Ohio, officially closing the Littoral Combat Ship program after more than two decades marked by cost overruns, mechanical failures, and shifting mission requirements. Cleveland is the 16th and final Freedom-variant LCS built by Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine, and the last LCS expected to enter the fleet. A total of 35 LCS have been constructed across two variants: the Freedom-class steel monohull and the Independence-class aluminum trimaran built by Austal USA.
