June 14 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy said it will christen its latest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, the future USS Minneapolis-St. Paul, on Saturday.
The ship, designed for near-shore environments, is also designated LCS 21. Rep. Betty McCullum, D-Minn., whose congressional district includes the city of St. Paul, will be the principal speaker at the event at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine Corp. shipyard in Marinette, Wis., on Saturday. Jodi Greene, deputy undersecretary of the Navy, will ceremonially break a bottle of sparkling wine over the ship's bow.