Navy to Commission LCS Sioux City

The Navy will commission its newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Sioux City (LCS 11), during a 9 a.m. ceremony Saturday, Nov. 17, at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa will deliver the commissioning ceremony's principal address. Mary Winnefeld, the wife of former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Adm. James "Sandy" Winnefeld, is the ship's sponsor. The ceremony will be highlighted by a time-honored Navy tradition when Mrs. Winnefeld gives the first order to "man our ship and bring her to life!"

"This ship is named in honor of Sioux City, Iowa, but represents more than one city," said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. "USS Sioux City represents an investment in readiness and lethality, and is a testament to the increased capabilities made possible by a true partnership between the Department of the Navy and our industrial base."

The future USS Sioux City, designated LCS 11, is the 13th LCS to enter the fleet and the sixth of the Freedom-variant design. The future USS Sioux City is the first naval vessel to be named in honor of Sioux City, Iowa. The fourth-largest city in the state, Sioux City was founded in 1854 at the navigational head of the Missouri River and takes its name from one of a group of North American Indian tribes that make up the Great Sioux Nation.

The littoral combat ship is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments, while capable of open-ocean tasking and winning against 21st-century coastal threats such as submarines, mines and swarming small craft. They are capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence.

USS Sioux City will be homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Florida.