Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine have held a keel-laying ceremony for the future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the US Navy's 21st Freedom variant littoral combat ship (LCS) at Marinette, Wisconsin.
The 118.6-metre by 17.5-metre LCS 21 will be the second vessel named for the Twin Cities.
SSN-708, a Los Angeles-class submarine, served as the first USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul and was decommissioned in 2008.
With a full-load displacement of 3,400 tonnes, LCS 21 has a top speed of more than 45 knots and can accommodate 98 sailors.
The future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul is one of eight ships in various stages of construction at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, with one more in long-lead production.
