Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced Sept. 22, that the next Freedom and Independence variant Littoral Combat Ships will be named USS Marinette (LCS 25) and USS Mobile (LCS 26) to recognize the two cities' significant contribution to Navy ship building.

The ceremony took place at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C.

The future USS Marinette (LCS 25), a Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship, will be the first commissioned U.S. Navy ship to bear the name.

The future USS Mobile (LCS 26), an Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship, will be the fifth ship to bear the name. The last USS Mobile (LKA-115) was a Charleston-class amphibious cargo ship and served for more than 24 years before being decommissioned in 1994.

A fast, agile surface combatant, the LCS provides the required war fighting capabilities and operational flexibility to execute a variety of missions in areas such as mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare.

The ship will be built with modular design incorporating mission packages that can be changed out quickly as combat needs change in a region. These mission packages are supported by detachments that deploy both manned and unmanned vehicles, and sensors, in support of mine, undersea, and surface warfare missions.

Marinette will be built by Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wisconsin.

Mobile will be built by Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama.

Additional information about Littoral Combat Ships is available online at www.navy.mil/local/LCSIndependence/ and
www.navy.mil/local/LCSFreedom/