USS Cleveland (LCS 31) sits pierside during the ship\u2019s commissioning ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio, May 16, 2026. U.S. Navy Photo<\/p>\n
Navy Commissions Final Littoral Combat Ship as Controversial Program Comes to an End<\/p>\n
The U.S. Navy has commissioned\u00a0USS Cleveland (LCS 31), officially closing out the<\/p>\n
program after more than two decades marked by cost overruns, mechanical failures, and shifting mission requirements.<\/p>\n
The ceremony took place Friday in Cleveland, Ohio, with Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao praising the crew as the ship entered active service.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday we celebrate the sailors who breathe life into this ship,\u201d Cao said during the ceremony. \u201cTo the officers and crew of<\/p>\n
, today is your day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cleveland is the 16th and final Freedom-variant LCS built by\u00a0Lockheed Martin\u00a0and\u00a0Fincantieri Marinette Marine\u00a0in Marinette, Wisconsin. More significantly, it is the last Littoral Combat Ship expected to enter the fleet, bringing an end to one of the Navy\u2019s most debated modern shipbuilding efforts.<\/p>\n
The Navy previously commissioned<\/p>\n
, the final Independence-variant vessel, in late 2025.<\/p>\n
The LCS class consists of two variants: the Freedom-class steel monohull built by Lockheed Martin in Marinette, Wisconsin, and the Independence-class aluminum trimaran built by Austal USA.\u00a0A total of 35 LCS have been constructed.<\/p>\n
Originally launched in the early 2000s, the LCS program aimed to deliver fast, modular warships capable of operating in contested near-shore environments. The ships were designed around interchangeable mission packages for mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare, and surface warfare.<\/p>\n
Instead, the program became plagued by delays, reliability problems, and escalating criticism over survivability and combat capability, particularly as the Pentagon shifted focus toward high-end conflict scenarios in the Indo-Pacific.<\/p>\n
Several LCS hulls have already been retired years earlier than expected, while the Navy increasingly pivots toward more heavily armed and survivable platforms such as the\u00a0Constellation-class frigate.<\/p>\n
Still, Navy officials continue to defend the ships\u2019 role in distributed maritime operations.<\/p>\n
\u201cLittoral Combat Ships are fast, agile, mission-focused warships designed to operate in near-shore environments to counter 21st-century threats,\u201d the Navy said in its commissioning announcement.<\/p>\n
Cleveland is the fourth Navy ship to bear the city\u2019s name. Earlier vessels served in conflicts ranging from World War I to Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm.<\/p>\n
The ship\u2019s commanding officer, Cmdr. Bruce Hallett, told the crew they would define the vessel\u2019s legacy despite the broader controversy surrounding the class.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are not simply serving aboard this ship,\u201d Hallett said. \u201cYou are writing the first chapter of her history.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following commissioning, Cleveland will transit to its homeport at Naval Station Mayport, Florida.<\/p>\n