NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. – Rear Adm. Sean Buck, commander U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, representing the U.S. Navy, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, and the ship’s sponsor Jill Donnelly, unveiled the crest for the newest addition to the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) community, USS Indianapolis (LCS 17), March 23.
The crest was created through a logo and design competition held by the ship’s commissioning committee and was open to “any Hoosier, past or present.” From these submissions, five were selected and sent to the U.S. Navy in December 2017.
U.S. Navy graphic illustration
A crest is used to identify a ship or command and its elements usually symbolize the city or state for which it is named. Specifically identified elements with roots that stem from the namesake city are:
-The checkered flags symbolize the winning spirit of Indianapolis and it’s racing heritage.
-The horizontal and vertical white lines intersecting with the center circle are taken from the flag of the namesake capital city and are symbolic of its moniker “Circle City” and the States “Crossroads of America”.
-The red circle with the star in the middle located in the center of the shield commemorates the capital city namesake.
USS Indianapolis is a Freedom class LCS that is currently being constructed in Marinette, Wisconsin. Once construction is complete and the ship has gone through all its appropriate trials, it will be homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Fla.
LCS class of ships are designed to operate in shallow waters near shore, countering challenges and threats presented in these areas, designed to counter a wide array of threats.
The newest LCS is the fourth ship to bear the name USS Indianapolis coming after:
-USS Indianapolis (ID 3865) Cargo Ship
-USS Indianapolis (CA 35) Cruiser
-USS Indianapolis (SSN 697) Submarine
For more news from U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command & U.S. 4th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/cusns/.
