The US Navy’s final Freedom-class littoral combat ship has arrived in Cleveland, Ohio, in preparation for its admittance into service.
The upcoming ceremony for the USS Cleveland (LCS 31) at its namesake city will serve as the first time a US surface combatant is commissioned in the Buckeye State, according to local media.
It will be the fourth naval vessel to carry the name throughout the military’s history, following an Austin-class amphibious transport dock in 1967, a Cleveland-class light cruiser during the Second World War, and a Denver-class protected cruiser in 1903.
The new Cleveland platform counts as the 16th hull in the Freedom series and the 31st planned system under Washington’s overall littoral combat ship program.
Upon entering service, the vessel will be homeported in Mayport, Florida, from where it will deploy for “forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence in key operational theaters,” the US Navy said during its delivery in November 2025.
The Freedom-Class Littoral Combat Ship
The US Navy’s Freedom-class is built with a steel and aluminum superstructure, spans 378 feet (115 meters) in length, has a beam of 104 feet (32 meters), and can carry over 100 sailors.
It is armed with electronic warfare and decoy systems, a 57-millimeter automatic naval gun, 12.7-millimeter machine guns, 30-millimeter chain guns, Rolling Airframe surface-to-air missiles, Hellfire anti-armor missiles, and a 150-kilowatt high-energy laser weapon.
The warship’s deck can accommodate an SH-60 Seahawk helicopter and two vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial systems, supporting airborne reconnaissance and transport.
The Freedom vessel is fitted with four waterjets, two Rolls-Royce gas turbines with a combined output of 48,000 horsepower, and twin Colt-Pielstick diesel engines with 9,100 horsepower for speed over 40 knots (46 miles/74 kilometers per hour) and a range of 3,500 nautical miles (4,028 miles/6,482 kilometers).
