See aboard the USS Beloit, the Navy's new $500 million littoral combat ship upgraded to fight near coastlines

The Navy operates two types of littoral combat ships: the Independence-class and the Freedom-class. The former class of ships has suffered from structural flaws, while a litany of maintenance issues has plagued the latter, and several of both classes have been deactivated before their time.

For example, USS Milwaukee, a $750 million Freedom-class ship, was decommissioned last year after just eight years in service. The LCS was originally meant to serve for 25 years. It is one of about half a dozen littoral combat ships — most being from the Freedom class — that have been pulled from active service.

Retired Navy Vice Adm. Dirk Debbink told Business Insider that the Navy has made improvements to the class since then.

"There's a lot of confidence in the engineering plant now, for example, which is a problem with some of the earlier ships of the class," he said of the USS Beloit. "I'm excited about this ship because I think it's going to hopefully redeem the class in general."

Whether the full range of issues with the LCS have been addressed remains to be seen. There have long been concerns about cost, performance, and survivability, and key questions persist regarding the LCS's suitability in a high-end fight against a near-peer adversary like the US military's pacing challenge — China. The Navy has since put some of its hopes for the LCS into the new class of frigate in development.

Built by Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine, the Navy describes USS Beloit, its 15th Freedom-variant LCS, as a "fast, agile" vessel that can operate in shallow waters near shore and in the open ocean. It has a much smaller crew than a destroyer and is armed with fewer weapons for sustained combat.

After it was christened in May 2022, the Beloit completed sea trials the following year and was delivered to the Navy in late September.

The warship will be homeported at Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, Florida.

The ship measures 387 feet long and can reach speeds of over 46 miles per hour — outpacing the rest of the fleet with its waterjet propulsion.

Its hangar can accommodate two MH-60 helicopters or one helicopter and one drone, and its flight deck is 50% larger than that of traditional surface combatants, according to the ship's commissioning committee.

LCSs are designed to support maritime security and deter enemy attacks. The Freedom-class ships are armed with a SeaRAM close-in weapon system that fires intercept missiles and a 57mm gun capable of firing up to 220 rounds per minute.

USS Beloit will also be equipped with Naval Strike Missiles, a long-range anti-ship weapon system capable of striking with high precision.

USS Beloit also includes an automated radio room, a decoy launching system, and a gunfire control system.

Retired Maj. Gen. Marcia Anderson, the first Black woman to achieve that Army rank in 2011, was chosen to sponsor USS Beloit.

Navy secretaries choose sponsors based on their relationship to the vessel's namesake or mission, and Anderson's hometown is Beloit.

"It is important to recognize that small cities like Beloit have had an outsized impact on our National Security for over 100 years and also have a significant role in the history of our country," Anderson wrote in a statement on the ship's commission committee website.

"We must never forget that the reason our country is so admired around the world is because we have always been a nation that honors and recognizes the devotion and courage of ordinary people," she continued. "The USS Beloit exemplifies and continues that tradition."

The ship's core crew consists of 50 sailors, and its spaces can accommodate up to 98 sailors.

USS Beloit's battle flag features a badger, Wisconsin's state animal. The ship's mascot is named Rocky, after the Rock River in Beloit.