Like many people in metro Detroit, I couldn’t wait to see the USS Detroit docked on the Detroit River along the downtown Detroit Riverfront.
The U.S. Navy ship, the sixth warship to be named for the city of Detroit, arrived on October 14, 2016 for a week of tours and events.
Yesterday, it was commissioned in a public ceremony with over 1,000 people attending in front of the Renaissance Center on the Detroit River.
Tomorrow the ship crosses the river (about one mile) to spend four days in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The USS Detroit will eventually make it’s way to her home port of San Diego, California by way of the Panama Canal.
According to the commissioning program, the USS Detroit will share rotational deployments to Singapore and the Far East.
About the USS Detroit
I know very little about warships, so I soaked up as much information about the ship as I could.
What I learned about the USS Detroit:
- Built by the Marinette Marine Corporation in Marinette, Wisconsin, the ship’s keel was laid November 12, 2012
- Christened in Marinette, Wisconsin on October 18, 2014
- 378-foot Freedom-Class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). These are lightweight ships intended to work in the littoral zone (close to shore).
- Known for it’s speed at 47 knots (54 mph)
- Crew of 98 (officers and enlisted)
- Can operate MH-60 helicopters and unmanned aircraft
- Can launch small boats and unmanned aircraft
- The only one of the six ships named for Detroit to be commissioned in its namesake city
Didn’t make it down to the Detroit Riverfront to see the USS Detroit?
Take the tunnel or Ambassador Bridge to Windsor, Ontario, Canada this week before it leaves.
