USS Detroit Navy Vessel Arrives In Motor City

DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - The USS Detroit naval vessel has arrived in its namesake city for a commissioning ceremony next week.

The $440 million Freedom-class ship docked Friday afternoon on the Detroit River in front of the GM Renaissance Center as hundreds of people watched. It traveled from Marinette, Wisconsin, where it was built. Click here for a schedule of events.

The idea for the Navy vessel first came about after the 9/11 attacks, when the U.S. Navy held a design competition for an innovative kind of focused-mission ship.

Ben Capuco, chief naval architect with Gibbs & Cox Inc., the firm that designed the ship, said previous Navy ships have carried the Detroit name but that none have moved like the new vessel.

"This is a very unique vessel in terms of its combination of speed, flexibility and maneuverability," he said.

However critics believe the vessel might not be what the Navy needs at the moment due to the changing environment; there's concern for its "survivability" in combat.

The makeup and design relies on avoiding fire more than sustaining it. The weaponry includes a 57mm deck gun, missile system and preventatives that will help deflect attack.

"The Navy's execution of the program has been a matter of congressional oversight attention for several years," said Ronald O'Rourke, an independent specialist in Naval affairs, in a combat ship report.

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