Little Rock, Ark. - Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, Mayor Mark Stodola, and supporters from Navy Operational Support Center will gather in Little Rock this week to celebrate Mabus' announcement that one of the Navy's scheduled 55 Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) will bear the name of the great city of Little Rock.

The LCS is a fast, maneuverable and networked surface combatant that provides the required war fighter capabilities and operational flexibility to execute focused missions close to the shore such as mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare. USS Little Rock (LCS 9) will be constructed by Marinette Marine Corporation's shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin. Marinette is scheduled to build as many as 10 LCS ships.

High Resolution Photos and Video available at: http://bit.ly/o3JoP9. The images provided are of the USS Freedom, and USS Little Rock will be in the same class of LCS.

Event Details:
What: Celebration of the naming of USS Little Rock
Who: Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola, and supporters from Navy Operational Support Center
When: Wednesday, October 5 at 10:00 a.m.
Where: La Petite Roche Plaza at Riverfront Park

For more information, please contact:
Secretary of the Navy's office, 703-697-7491, or email Susan Lagana at susan.lagana@navy.mil, or Captain Pamela Kunze at Pamela.kunze@navy.mil.