The U.S. Navy is decommissioning its littoral combat vessels, with the USS Milwaukee (LCS-5) being the latest to be retired on September 8, 2023, in Florida.
The littoral combat vessel program aimed to provide fast and powerful vessels for near-shore operations but faced cost overruns and strategy shifts towards peer-to-peer combat.
The budget for fiscal year 2023 called for the decommissioning of nine Freedom-class LCS vessels.
USS Milwaukee, a Freedom-class LCS commissioned in 2015, served for less than eight years.
At the decommissioning ceremony, Vice Adm. Dirk Debbink expressed pride in the vessel's service since 2015.
USS Milwaukee was the first serial production vessel of the Freedom class, incorporating lessons learned from previous ships.
The vessel deployed twice, intercepting drug traffickers and seizing $30 million worth of cocaine during one deployment.
The crew of USS Milwaukee contributed to training and operational success, supporting national security goals.