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Navsource Online: Littoral Warship Photo Archive
Ship's patch courtesy of
Don McGrogan,
BMCS, USN (Ret.)

Cleveland (LCS 31)

"Forge A Legacy"
Specifications - LCS Littoral Combat Ship - Freedom Class (Variant 1, Flight 0, first generation):
Hull Type: Semi-planing Monohull
Displacement: 2135 tons (light), 2862 tons (full) Dead Weight: 727 tons
Length: 324 (wl), 378.9' (oa)
Beam: 43' (wl), 57' (extreme)
Draft: 13' (navigational), 14' (draft limit)
Propulsion: Two Rolls-Royce MT30 36MW gas turbines, FM Colt-Pielstick 16PA6B STC diesel engines driving four Rolls-Royce waterjets
Auxiliary Power: Four Isotta Fraschini Model V1708 ship service diesel generator sets
Speed: 45 kts
Armament: BAE Systems Land and Armaments Mk110 57mm naval gun system
Combat Management System: Lockheed Martin open architecture COMBATSS-21
Electronics: EADS TRS-3D C-band radar (air / surface surveillance, weapon assignment)
Decoy System: Soft-Kill Weapon System (SKWS) decoy launcher from Terma A/S of Denmark
Complement: 26
Cleveland (LCS 31) Building and Operational Data:
  • 21 January 2019: Contract Awarded to Lockheed Martin Corp.
  • 19 February 2019: It was announced that LCS 31 would be named Cleveland
  • 16 June 2021: Keel laid at Marinette Marine Shipyard, Marinette, Wis.; keel authenticated by sponsor Robyn Modly, the wife of Thomas B. Modly, acting Secretary of the Navy (2019-2020)
  • 15 April 2023: Launched at Marinette, Wis. and christened by sponsor Robyn Modly; Mr. Andrew Haeuptle, director of Navy staff, delivered the ceremonial principal address

    Note:
    1.) The contract option awarded to Lockheed Martin Corporation is managed by Lockheed Martin's Maritime Systems and Sensors division in Moorestown, N.J. The Lockheed Martin team includes: Marinette Marine shipyard, Bollinger Shipyards, Gibbs and Cox naval architects, Izar of Spain and Blohm & Voss naval shipbuilders.

    2.) The contract option awarded to General Dynamics is managed by Bath Iron Works at Bath ME. The major members of General Dynamics team are: Austal USA, based in Mobile AL; BAE Systems, Rockville MD; Maritime Applied Physics Corporation, Baltimore MD; CAE Marine Systems, Leesburg VA; Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, Baltimore MD; General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, Burlington VT; General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton CT; General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Washington DC; and General Dynamics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.

    "Cleveland, The Ship"     -    "Cleveland, The People"
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    Freedom 172k 27 May 2004: Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Navy announced today that Lockheed Martin Corporation - Maritime Systems & Sensors Division, Moorestown, N.J., will be one of two defense contracting teams awarded contract options for final system design with options for detail design and construction of up to two Flight 0 Littoral Combat Ships (LCS). The LCS is an entirely new breed of U.S. Navy warship. A fast, agile, and networked surface combatant, LCS's modular, focused-mission design will provide Combatant Commanders the required warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility to ensure maritime dominance and access for the joint force. LCS will operate with focused-mission packages that deploy manned and unmanned vehicles to execute missions including, Special Operations Forces (SOF) support, high-speed transit, Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO), Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), and Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP).
    (Artist concept provided to the U.S. Navy courtesy of Lockheed Martin Corporation, Photo #040527-O-0000L-003, from the Navy News Stand)    		 Mike Smolinski
    Clifton, N.J.

    Navsource DE/FF/LCS
    Archive Manager
    Freedom 365k undated: Marinette, Wis. - An aerial view of Fincantieri Marinette Marine, which was founded in 1942 along the south bank of the Menominee River in Marinette, Wisconsin. The river forms the border between Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Originally built to meet America's growing demand for naval construction, today FMM is one of the premier builders of vessels for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. From humble beginnings with a contract to build five wooden barges, FMM has grown into a world-class shipbuilder, having designed and built more than 1,500 vessels. In conjunction with the Lockheed Martin Corp., all of the planned Freedom Class LCS's will be built here, beginning in 2005 with USS Freedom (LCS 1).
    (Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin, Fincantiere Marinette Marine)
    Cleveland 1.) 325k   Cleveland 2.) 206k   Cleveland 3.) 185k   Cleveland 4.) 281k   Cleveland 5.) 89k

    Friday, April 5, 2024, Cleveland, Ohio
     
    Marked a milestone for the last freedom-class littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Cleveland (LCS 31), when they unveiled the ships crest during a ceremony at the Union Club in Cleveland. “It was an absolute pleasure to meet with the Cleveland Legacy Foundation, ship’s sponsor, and the people of Cleveland for the ships crest unveiling,” Command Master Chief (CMDCM) Carla Bellamy said after presenting the ships crest with Cmdr. Bruce Hallett, future commanding officer of USS Cleveland.

    The unveiling event was organized by the USS Cleveland Legacy Foundation, a non-profit based in Cleveland, that formed from the commissioning committee. “We plan to continue to support the crew and ship through her service life and bring her back to Cleveland as a museum if the Navy has no greater and higher purpose for her,” Courtney Smrdel, Director of Operations for the foundation said Friday. The USS Cleveland is the fourth Naval vessel named after Cleveland and is slated to be the last of 16 Freedom-class LCS ships.

    Initiated in February 2002, the LCS program represents a reduction in time to acquire, design, and build ships in comparison to any previous ship class. FY 2019 was the final year programmed for LCS seaframes according to the Navy’s website. It was an absolute honor to represent the crew of PCU Cleveland at the official unveiling of the ships crest,” Cmdr. Bruce Hallett, commanding officer of the USS Cleveland, said after the unveiling ceremony. “I look forward to forging a legacy with the commissioning committee and the great city of Cleveland as we prepare to commission the USS Cleveland.”

    1.) Commander Bruce Hallett, commanding officer and Command Master Chief Carla Bellamy of the future USS Cleveland (LCS 31) speak to the Cleveland Legacy Foundation. ...................................240405-N-FP878-9416
    2.) Commander Bruce Hallett, commanding officer and Command Master Chief Carla Bellamy speak to the Cleveland Legacy Foundation before revealing the ships crest. .....................................................240405-N-FP878-3489
    3.) Commander Bruce Hallett, commanding officer of the future USS Cleveland (LCS-31) and sponsor Robin Modly reveal the ships crest. .................................................................................................................240405-N-FP878-9416
    4.) Commander Bruce Hallett, commanding officer, Command Master Chief Carla Bellamy, sponsor Robin Modly, and active duty service members after revealing the ships crest. .....................................240405-N-FP878-8439
    5.) Commander Bruce Hallett, prospective CO USS Cleveland (LCS 31) speaks to the Cleveland Legacy Foundation after revealing the ships crest. ...............................................................................................240405-N-FP878-8853


    (U.S. Navy photos by MC1 Theron Godbald courtesy of the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)

    1.) 1531007      2.) 1531008      3.) 1531009      4.) 1531010     4.) 1531011
    Cleveland 1.) 367k   Cleveland 2.) 400k   Cleveland 3.) 282k   Cleveland 4.) 206k   Cleveland 5.) 195k   Cleveland 6.) 175k

    16 June 2021: Marinette, Wis. - A six view series of the keel laying for the future Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Cleveland (LCS 31). The ship's
    sponsor, Mrs. Robyn Modly, is shown authenticating the keel by having her initials welded to a keel plate. This commences the official building of the ship.

    (Photos from LCS Team Freedom on flickr)

    1.) 1531001      2.) 1531002      3.) 1531003      4.) 1531004     4.) 1531006

    "Cleveland, The Ship"     -    "Cleveland, The People"
    Cleveland Memorabilia
    Ship's Emblem
    Cleveland
    Courtesy of
    Mike Smolinski
    There is no DANFS History currently available for Cleveland (LCS 31) at Navsource
    Additional Resources
    Tin Can Sailors
    The U.S. Navy Memorial
    The Destroyer Escort Historical Museum
    The Destroyer History Foundation
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    This page created on 06 February 2019,
    and is maintained by Mike Smolinski
    All pages copyright Navsource Naval History
    by Paul R. Yarnall, All Rights Reserved.
    Page Last Updated: 04 August 2025