USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul will sail the high seas after Duluth commissioning – St. Paul Pioneer Press

DULUTH, Minn. The newly constructed USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the second naval warship to honor the Twin Cities, is docked in Duluth ahead of its weekend commissioning.

The ship, the first U.S. Navy vessel to dock in Duluth since 1993, when the Navy conducted regular Great Lakes tours, was outlined in festive bunting Thursday while berthed at Rices Point.

The nearly 400-foot warship is scheduled to be commissioned into the Navy during a ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday.

On that day, most of its 110-member crew will be asked to run aboard in Navy tradition by sprinting up the gangway to populate the ship.

Im more than proud, said Cmdr. Alfonza White, the officer in charge of the vessel, during a Thursday media tour. Ive been in the Navy 27 years. The best part of the Navy are the people. Everything about this ship is foremost about the people and who takes care of it.

A Freedom-class littoral combat ship, Minneapolis-Saint Paul is designed for defense and combat within 25 miles of shore. It reaches speeds near 50 mph, and its main gun on the forward deck can fire artillery that explodes on impact or in the vicinity of targets within 9 nautical miles.

It has its homeport at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Fla. But from there, the possibilities will be endless.

We are trained to sail the high seas, and we are prepared to do so, said White, who began his career on the since-decommissioned USS Duluth.

Built in Marinette, Wis., by Fincantieri Marinette Marine on Lake Michigan, the $360 million ship has struggled through fits and starts to reach its commissioning. The ship was christened and launched in the Menominee River on June 15, 2019, at the Fincantieri yard, but a design defect associated with bearings in the combining gears high-speed clutch surfaced during trials.

Commissioning, which will be the first for a Navy vessel in Minnesota, was delayed in both 2020 and 2021.

The crew is resilient, White said. We took it in stride and now were here.

The crew has spent the past two years in Florida training aboard other vessels to prepare to operate Minneapolis-Saint Paul.

I know the ship was being built up here in the Midwest, but two years ago-plus we started building a crew, and that is really the bread and butter of what brings the ship to life, said Command Senior Enlisted Leader Edward Pare, the vessels top enlisted man. Were going to go through a commissioning ceremony, but this crew has jelled and come together for many years, and it shows.

The vessel is highly maneuverable and is propelled by water jets instead of the more traditional propeller-and-rudder system.

White explained that when the Minneapolis-Saint Paul is opened up, its jets process an Olympic swimming pools worth of water every second.

Thats how much thrust vector we generate, White said.

The crew is trained to navigate the vessel in tight spaces without the aid of tugboats. On its 37-day voyage up from Florida, the crew gained valuable experience traversing the Soo Locks and other Great Lakes.

If youve ever been out on Lake Superior, it is awesome, White said. Coming through the Soo Locks was a great experience for the crew, and then entering Lake Superior beautiful lake, beautiful scenery. We couldnt ask for more.

The vessel is of a class of ship thats typically named for major cities.

The naming of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul was made possible by Jodi Green, former deputy undersecretary of the Navy and a Minnesota resident.

The Minneapolis-Saint Paul will be the second naval vessel named after both Twin Cities. The submarine USS Minneapolis-St. Paul served from 1984 to 2008.

White said the Twin Cities and Duluth should be proud to be a part of the commissioning of a ship that figures to be called into action anywhere in the world.

Worldwide access, White said of why the vessel was in Duluth. This is part of the world. Were happy to sail all over the world, and this is proof that we can access so many different venues around the world.

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USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul will sail the high seas after Duluth commissioning - St. Paul Pioneer Press