The U.S. Navy has placed into active service its 12th Freedom-class littoral combat ship, manufactured by Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine, during a commissioning ceremony held at Pier 88 in New York, New York.
Dubbed LCS 23, USS Cooperstown (LCS 23) is the first naval ship to bear the name of Cooperstown, New York, and is the latest vessel to join the Navy’s LCS fleet that operates in near-shore environments, Lockheed said Monday.
The ship also honors 70 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame players who served in the U.S. military during wartime.
LCS 23 was launched in January 2019 and christened in February 2020. It completed acceptance trials on Dec. 14, 2020, and was delivered to the Navy on Sept. 20, 2022.
Following the commissioning ceremony, the combat ship will sail from New York to its homeport of Mayport, Florida.
