The Navy classified Fort Worth as an early-hull operational and test platform. Its retirement will redirect investment toward upgrades for the remaining littoral combat ship fleet.
Marinette Marine built the vessel in Marinette, Wisconsin. Fort Worth entered service on September 22, 2012, as the first production ship of the Freedom class.
The vessel served as both an operational unit and a technology test platform. Its crew helped establish the configuration and deployment capabilities used by later littoral combat ships.
Fort Worth began a deployment to Singapore in November 2014. The ship was scheduled to return to San Diego in March 2016.
Propulsion system failures extended its stay in Asia by several months. The vessel later returned to California and underwent a major overhaul.
The Navy subsequently reassigned Fort Worth to an experimental role. That decision kept the ship in the Pacific, unlike other Freedom-class vessels.
Former Navy Secretary Gordon England delivered the ceremony’s principal address. Rear Adm. Matthew Kawas, Jill J.R. Labbe and retired Capt. Warren Cupps also provided remarks.
Littoral combat ships operate in coastal waters and open-ocean environments. Their missions include forward presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence.
The fleet comprises the Freedom and Independence variants. The ships are designed to operate with joint, allied, crewed and uncrewed forces.
Current plans call for the former Fort Worth to be scrapped alongside the former USS Freedom. The Navy has now retired six Freedom-class littoral combat ships.
The other retired vessels are Milwaukee, Detroit, Little Rock and Sioux City. Those four ships have been offered to allied nations, but no potential buyer has been publicly identified.
