MARINETTE, Wis., Aug. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Fincantieri Marinette Marine successfully completed acceptance trials on the future USS Little Rock (LCS 9), on Aug. 25.

The future USS Little Rock, the fifth Freedom-variant LCS built by Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine, completed acceptance trials with the highest score of any Freedom-variant LCS to date, earning the right to fly brooms atop its mast signifying a clean sweep of the ship's sea trials.

"Our team has raised the bar for Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship performance," said Joe DePietro, vice president of small surface combatants and ship systems. "This was an exceptional trial – the best of the class to date, thanks to the extraordinary contributions of all Freedom-variant LCS teammates."

The five-day trials, conducted in port and at sea by the U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV), represent the last major milestone before the ship's delivery. During the trials, the Navy conducted comprehensive tests of the LCS intended to demonstrate the performance of the propulsion plant, ship handling, and auxiliary systems.

"I am extremely proud of our entire LCS team, including our shipbuilders at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, for producing our team's best ship to date," said Jan Allman, Fincantieri Marinette Marine President and CEO. "These are complex vessels, and it takes a strong team effort to design, build and test these American warships."

Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine are now preparing Little Rock for delivery in the coming weeks. Named in honor of the patriotic and hardworking citizens of Little Rock, LCS 9 will be the second U.S. Navy ship to bear the name of Arkansas' largest city. She will be commissioned next to her decommissioned namesake in Buffalo later this year.

The Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine team is currently in full-rate production of the Freedom-variant of the LCS, and has delivered four ships to the U.S. Navy to date. The future USS Little Rock is one of eight ships in various stages of construction at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, with one more in long-lead production.

The Freedom-variant LCS team is comprised of Lockheed Martin, shipbuilder Fincantieri Marinette Marine, naval architect Gibbs & Cox, and more than 800 suppliers in 42 states.

The Freedom-variant's steel monohull design is based on a proven, resilient design recognized for its stability and reliability.

For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com/lcs

Click here to view video highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTy0MhhUlYQ

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 97,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

About Fincantieri Marinette Marine
Founded in 1942, Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) is located on the Menominee River flowage into Green Bay. The largest shipyard in the Midwest, FMM has delivered more than 1,300 vessels to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and commercial customers, including the technologically advanced Littoral Combat Ship Freedom variant for the U.S. Navy. In 2008, FMM along with several sister shipyards also based in the Great Lakes region, became part of Fincantieri, one of the world's largest shipbuilding groups and number one by diversification and innovation, with more than 19,400 employees, of whom more than 8,200 in Italy, 20 shipyards in 4 continents.  Fincantieri operates in the United States through its subsidiary Fincantieri Marine Group, serving both civilian and government customers. Over the past five years, Fincantieri invested more than $100 million in both capital infrastructure and its resources to support FMM's transformation into what is now one of the best shipyards in the United States. Employing approximately 1,500 employees, today FMM is a state-of-the-art, full service new construction shipyard.

About Gibbs & Cox
Gibbs & Cox, the nation's leading independent maritime solutions firm specializing in naval architecture, marine engineering and design, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The company, founded in 1929, has provided designs for nearly 80 percent of the current U.S. Navy surface combatant fleet; approaching 7,000 naval and commercial ships have been built to Gibbs & Cox designs.

SOURCE Lockheed Martin