About Us

NAMESAKE:  The name FREEDOM honors and acknowledges the enduring foundation of our nation and American communities from coast to coast which bear the name Freedom. Towns named Freedom range from New York to California, and include Indiana, Maine, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. 

SHIP'S CREST:  BLAZON FOR FREEDOM (LCS 1) Symbolism Crest: The early flag represents our traditional ideals and the commitment to preserve and protect our nation's values. The demi-horse signifies speed and agility, attributes associated with the sea frame's capabilities.  Shield: The shield represents the power in the modular mission package. The stylized shape echoes the form and surfaces of the ship, equipped with the most modern technology. Scarlet signifies courage and sacrifice. The sea griffin signifies mission package capabilities in the air, as well as on and under the seas. It holds a flaming torch, honoring the freedom characterized by the ship's name. The enclosing blue orle symbolizes cooperation and unity of purpose. Together, the colors scarlet, white and blue represent the United States.

SPONSOR:   FREEDOM’s Sponsor is Mrs. Birgit Smith, the wife of U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Paul Ray Smith who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sergeant Smith, in the opening days of Operation Iraqi Freedom, exposed himself to devastating fire holding off the enemy to allow wounded soldiers to be evacuated from the battlefield. Sergeant First Class Smith’s actions represented the highest ideals that our country was founded upon and it is fitting that his legacy is integral to the Navy’s newest class of warship.

OTHER SHIPS NAMED “FREEDOM”:  LCS 1 is only the second ship in the U.S. Navy to be named FREEDOM. The first USS FREEDOM (ID 3024) was a 5,640 ton troop transport built in 1894 at Hamburg, Germany. Seized by the United States Government in 1917, she was renamed IROQUOIS and operated under charter to the U.S. Army during the rest of World War I. The ship was renamed FREEDOM in mid-1918 and, in January 1919, was commissioned into the Navy and assigned to the Cruiser and Transport Force. For the next seven months she engaged in returning American servicemen from France, making three round-trip Atlantic voyages. USS FREEDOM (ID 3024) was decommissioned in September 1919.

ABOUT THE LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP:  The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is designed to defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance in the coastal water battlespace. A fast, maneuverable and networked surface combatant, LCS provides the required warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility to execute focused missions close to the shore such as mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare.

COMBAT CAPABILITY:   LCS delivers combat capability from core self-defense systems in concert with rapidly interchangeable, modular mission packages and an open architecture command and control system. Modularity maximizes the flexibility of LCS and enables commanders to meet changing warfare needs, while also supporting faster, easier technological updates. LCS will be networked to share tactical information with aircraft, ships, submarines, joint and coalition units both at sea and shore, and with LCS operating groups.