Peters Visits Marinette Marine
MARINETTE, WI – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today visited Marinette Marine, where he saw vessel production firsthand and highlighted Marinette Marine’s critical role in American’s national defense as a builder of Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) for the U.S. Navy and employer of hundreds of Michiganders.
“The production of the LCS is an intricate process that requires highly-skilled engineers and workers, who can transform raw material into a first-class vessel that is vital for U.S. Navy operations across the globe,” said Senator Peters, a former Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve. “The LCS is helping America’s military meet the challenges of 21st century warfighting, and I am proud to support the LCS and Michigan workers who manufacture these vessels. I thank Marinette Marine and Lockheed Martin for hosting me today.”
“The Littoral Combat Ship is a critical capability for the U.S. Navy, and Lockheed Martin is proud of the dedication and focus of Team Freedom, including our partner Fincantieri Marinette Marine, to getting these ships to the Navy as quickly as possible,” said Joe DePietro, vice president, Small Combatants and Ship Systems, Lockheed Martin. “That work is only possible because of the robust support Senator Peters brings to this program, to the workforce building the LCS and to our nation’s armed forces.”
Marinette Marine is one of two sites in the nation that construct the LCS and the only naval shipyard in the Midwest. Founded in 1942 along the Menominee River, Marinette Marine began with a small contract for five wooden barges and has grown to a shipbuilder that has designed and produced more than 1,500 vessels for naval, U.S. Coast Guard and commercial use.
In the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2018 – which sets Department of Defense policy and was signed into law late last year – Senator Peters supported language authorizing the construction of three additional LCSs. Peters also attended the commissioning of the USS Detroit, an LCS that was built at Marinette Marine.
