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)

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]

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]

USS Cooperstown saving stranded mariner

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. 1 2 3 "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. 1 2 3 4 "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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 3 "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. 1 2 "USS Cooperstown Mast-Stepping Ceremony". baseballhall.org. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  10. 1 2 "Navy commissions USS Cooperstown; honors war veteran players". Associated Press. 7 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "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. 1 2 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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