The keel has been laid for the U.S. Navy's 13th Littoral Combat Ship at a Marinette Marine Corporation shipyard in Wisconsin.

Lockheed Martin, who is leading the team in constructing the Freedom variant vessel, said laying the keel of the future USS Wichita officially marks the start of the module erection process.

"This ship class, and the industry team behind it, has shown it can adapt to meet the Navy's most challenging missions and provide a powerful, modular platform," said Joe North, vice president of Littoral Ships and Systems at Lockheed Martin. "We have leveraged best practices and incorporated improvements based on sailors' feedback to ensure the fleet is prepared and empowered to fight, operate and support the ship in the littorals and open seas worldwide."

The Lockheed Martin's LCS team, in addition to Marinette Marine Corporation, includes Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, naval architect Gibbs & Cox, and nearly 900 suppliers.

Littoral Combat Ships are designed for operation in close-to-shore waters and are modular in design. Freedom variants are 387 feet long, 57.7 feet in the beam and have a speed of more than 40 knots.

The ships carry reconfigurable payloads, or mission modules for mine counter-measures, anti-submarine warfare, or surface warfare missions.