{"id":53968,"date":"2018-08-24T02:05:51","date_gmt":"2018-08-24T02:05:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/08\/24\/two-new-littoral-combat-ships-join-the-us-fleet\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:59:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:59:58","slug":"two-new-littoral-combat-ships-join-the-us-fleet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2018\/08\/24\/two-new-littoral-combat-ships-join-the-us-fleet\/","title":{"rendered":"Two new littoral combat ships join the US fleet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The U.S. Navy added a pair of littoral combat ships<\/a> to the fleet, accepting delivery of the Sioux City and the Wichita during a Wednesday ceremony at Fincantieri\u2019s Marinette Marine shipyard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ships, the sixth and seventh of Lockheed Martin\u2019s monohulled Freedom-variant LCS,<\/a> will commission later this fall and are destined to be based in Mayport, Florida, as part of LCS Squadron Two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the next few years, the Navy will start accepting littoral combat ships at a fever pitch as the fleet builds up to the programmed 32 hulls, and likely more depending on the outcome of this year\u2019s appropriations process in Congress. With the acceptance of Sioux City and Wichita, the Navy has 15 LCS in its inventory.<\/p>\n\n\n\t