USS Beloit Docks at Milwaukee Lakefront
U.S. Navy ship will be commissioned on Saturday morning.
USS Beloit. Photo taken Nov. 18, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.
A second eye-catching boat has docked along Milwaukee’s lakefront. This time, on purpose.
The new arrival is the U.S. Navy’s USS Beloit (LCS 29), which is set to be commissioned on Saturday, Nov. 23, at Veterans Park.
The combat ship glided into the city on Sunday night, and is now moored near the northeast tip of the park. As of Monday morning, the path running along the lakefront has been fenced off to pedestrians.
The ship’s title honors the city of Beloit, Wisconsin for its shipbuilding history. Beloit is home to Fairbanks Morse Defense, which produces engines for U.S. Navy ships, including its namesake. It is classed as a “freedom-variant littoral” ship with littoral meaning it operates in near-shore waters, while freedom variant refers to a class of vessels built by military contractor Lockheed Martin at Marinette Marine shipyard. Construction began in July 2020, with the engine built by the Beloit company.
The commissioning is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., and will be livestreamed. During the ceremony, retired Army Maj. Gen. Marcia M. Anderson, the ship’s sponsor, will lead a time-honored Navy tradition, ordering crews to “man our ship and bring her to life,” according to a press release. At that time, the commissioning pennant will be hoisted, formally designating the Beloit as a “proud ship of the fleet.”
Following its commissioning, the Beloit will depart Milwaukee for its home port assignment of Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida.
LCS 29 is among a class of warships known for their small size, speed and agility. The ships are well-suited for both near-shore and open-ocean environments due to their shallow hulls, and are an asset in mitigating coastal threats, according to the press release. The Beloit will be dedicated to supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence missions around the globe.
Another ship, the USS Milwaukee (LCS 5), was commissioned at the same site in November 2015. Just a few weeks later, the $362 million ship experienced a lack of propulsion and had to be towed back to port. However, it was repaired and returned to service for approximately eight years until its decommissioning in September 2023.
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If this is another of those tres-pricey pieces of junk built up North, we’ll be lucky if it leaves the Port under its own power. What a waste!
“Another ship, the USS Milwaukee (LCS 5), was commissioned at the same site in November 2015. Just a few weeks later, the $362 million ship experienced a lack of propulsion and had to be towed back to port. However, it was repaired and returned to service for approximately eight years until its decommissioning in September 2023.” REALLY? These ships are designed to be used for only about 8 years?? And then what? Are they reconditioned, cut apart and sold as scrap? Scuttled for ocean reefs? Is this the fate for Navy vessels?
While the LCS was a dumb idea, at least it was poorly executed. The Freedom-class built in Wisconsin was plagued by drive gear issues that were too expensive to replace given the ship was essentially built around them precluding access to replace them. The Independence-class built in Alabama(?) suffers from hull cracking and are speed limited above Sea State 4. Here in the Great Lakes, a SS4 is also called a Tuesday.