GALVESTON, Texas, Sept. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Navy commissioned the nation's third Littoral Combat Ship – USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) – in Galveston, Texas today, officially placing the ship designed and constructed by a Lockheed Martin-led team [NYSE: LMT] into active service.

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(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120922/PH79403-b )

Fort Worth, the second of the Freedom-variant in the LCS class, successfully passed Acceptance Trials in May and was delivered to the U.S. Navy in June, two months ahead of schedule.

"Today's global security challenges demand new and improved solutions, and the Littoral Combat Ship represents the innovation that is needed to respond to this dynamic environment," said Bob Stevens, Lockheed Martin Chairman and CEO.  "We are incredibly proud of the men and women on our team who helped design and build Fort Worth and honored to serve those that will rely on this ship to support U.S. security goals."

Now formally commissioned, Fort Worth will transit to its homeport in San Diego, Calif., where it will be integrated into the fleet and the industry-Navy team will conduct additional program testing and crew training.  

This ship class will support the Navy in defeating growing littoral, or close-to-shore, threats and provide access and dominance in coastal waters, helping keep critical commercial shipping lanes open worldwide.

The Lockheed Martin-led LCS team includes ship builder Marinette Marine Corporation (MMC), a Fincantieri company, and naval architect Gibbs & Cox, as well as hundreds of teammates worldwide.

Milwaukee (LCS 5) and Detroit (LCS 7) are under construction at MMC's shipyard. Little Rock (LCS 9) and Sioux City (LCS 11) were awarded in March 2012 and are in the early stages of procuring long-lead materials.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 120,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation's net sales for 2011 were $46.5 billion.

About Fincantieri

Fincantieri is one of the world's largest shipbuilding groups, which in over 200 years of maritime history has built more than 7,000 vessels. It is world leader in cruise ship construction and a reference player in other sectors, from naval vessels to cruise ferries, from megayachts to special high value-added vessels, and ship repairs and conversions. Headquartered in Trieste, the Group has over 10,000 employees and eight shipyards in Italy alone. Fincantieri operates in the United States through its subsidiary Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG). This company, which serves both civilian and government customers, including the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, has three shipyards (Marinette Marine, Bay Shipbuilding, Ace Marine), all located in the Great Lakes region. Since 2002 Fincantieri has built or has orders to build more than 100 ships, worth a total of € 22 billion, and has developed numerous prototypes in each of its business segments.

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SOURCE Lockheed Martin