USS Cooperstown

USS Cooperstown (LCS-23) is a Freedom-class littoral combat ship of the United States Navy. She is the first naval ship named after Cooperstown, New York.[6][7]

USS Cooperstown at commissioning
History
United States
NameCooperstown
NamesakeCooperstown
Awarded29 December 2010[1]
BuilderMarinette Marine[1]
Laid down14 August 2018[2]
Launched19 January 2020[3]
Sponsored byAlba Tull[3]
Christened29 February 2020[3]
Acquired20 September 2022[4]
Commissioned6 May 2023[5]
HomeportNaval Station Mayport
MottoAmerica's Away Team
StatusIn active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeFreedom-class littoral combat ship
Length378 ft (115 m)
Speed>40 knots (74 km/h; 46 mph)

Ray Mabus, while Secretary of the Navy, announced the naming of Cooperstown on 25 July 2015 during a ceremony at the Baseball Hall of Fame, which is located in Cooperstown. The announcement was part of the ceremony which was honoring baseball players who served in World War II.[8] Her name honors American military veterans[lower-alpha 1] from multiple conflicts (starting with Morgan Bulkeley, first president of the National League, in the Civil War)[9] who are members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.[7][10]

Design

In 2002, the US Navy initiated a program to develop the first of a fleet of littoral combat ships.[11] The Navy initially ordered two monohull ships from Lockheed Martin, which became known as the Freedom-class littoral combat ships after the first ship of the class, USS Freedom.[11][12] Odd-numbered US Navy littoral combat ships are built using the Freedom-class monohull design, while even-numbered ships are based on a competing design, the trimaran hull Independence-class littoral combat ship from General Dynamics.[11] The initial order of littoral combat ships involved a total of four ships, including two of the Freedom-class design.[11]  Cooperstown is the 12th Freedom-class littoral combat ship to be built.

Construction and career

Marinette Marine was awarded the contract to build the ship on 29 December 2010,[1] at their shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin.[13] On 20 November 2019, United States Vice President Mike Pence toured the ship prior to giving a speech at Marinette Marine.[14] Cooperstown was launched on 19 January 2020 and christened on 29 February 2020.[3] She was delivered to the Navy in September 2022.[15] Her home port is Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida.[15]

During routine operations on 11 March 2023, Cooperstown provided emergency assistance to a sailing vessel that was in distress.[16]

On 6 May 2023, the ship was commissioned in New York City.[5][10]

Notes
  1. The number of American military veterans who have been inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame was originally reported as 68.[7] Subsequent reports place the number at 70,[9] as both Gil Hodges and Buck O'Neil, who served in World War II, were elected in 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting.

References
  1. "Cooperstown (LCS-23)". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  2. "Team Freedom Lays Keel on Nation's 23rd Littoral Combat Ship" (Press release). Lockheed Martin. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  3. "Littoral Combat Ship 23 (Cooperstown) Christened" (Press release). Lockheed Martin. 1 March 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  4. "Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Cooperstown (LCS 23)" (Press release). NAVSEA. 23 September 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  5. "USS Cooperstown is Commissioned in New York" (Press release). United States Navy. 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  6. "Navy Names Littoral Combat Ship" (Press release). U.S. Department of Defense. 26 July 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  7. "Navy Names Littoral Combat Ship USS Cooperstown". National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. 25 July 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  8. "Navy to commission USS Cooperstown". Cooperstown Crier. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  9. "USS Cooperstown Mast-Stepping Ceremony". baseballhall.org. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  10. "Navy commissions USS Cooperstown; honors war veteran players". Associated Press. 7 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  11. "US Navy Fact File: Littoral Combat Ship Class – LCS". US Navy. Archived from the original on 2 March 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  12. O'Rourke, Ronald (4 May 2010). "Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  13. "Start Of Construction on LCS 23 (Cooperstown)" (PDF). The Beacon. Fincantieri Marinette Marine (Summer 2017): 3. 31 July 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  14. Sussman, Rob (20 November 2019). "Pence Touts Jobs in Marinette Speech". WTAQ News Talk. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  15. Mongilio, Heather (26 September 2022). "Lockheed Martin Delivers 12th Freedom-Class LCS Cooperstown". USNI.org.
  16. Junco, Anthony (11 March 2023). "USS Cooperstown Rescues Mariner". dvidshub.net.
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