A United States Navy littoral combat ship (LCS) left its squadron’s home port in Florida in May 2026 for a scheduled deployment to bolster the security of the Mexico-U.S. border, a U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) news release stated. The USS Cooperstown left Naval Station Mayport on May 16 to relieve another Freedom-variant LCS, the USS Wichita, which had been engaged in border security operations since November 2025.
Both warships belong to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron (LCSRON) 2, which has been under USNORTHCOM command as a maritime component of border security efforts. The vessels are fast, maneuverable warships designed to operate in near-shore environments. The small surface combatant ship class debuted in 2000. Smaller than a frigate but larger than a patrol boat, the LCS can carry assault troops, two MH-60 Seahawk helicopters and is armed with Mk 110 .57mm naval automatic guns and RIM-116 rolling airframe missiles. The ships also carry uncrewed maritime and aerial assets. LCS are designed to support amphibious landings and defend against asymmetric or denial-of-access threats. The ships also can operate in larger battle groups with cruisers and destroyers, according to the U.S. Navy.
The USS Wichita has operated with a Coast Guard law enforcement detachment (LEDET) that brings specialized expertise in maritime interdictions. LEDETs typically board vessels suspected of trafficking in drugs, guns or people. The USS Cooperstown, commissioned in 2023, celebrated the beginning of the ship’s mission with baseball imagery reflective of its name. Cooperstown is the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “Today is a defining moment for every Sailor aboard this outstanding warship,” Cmdr. Jesse DuParc, the Cooperstown’s commanding officer, said in the May 18 release. “The crew of Cooperstown has trained relentlessly and is prepared to defend the homeland, protect freedom of the seas and answer the call of every mission assigned. We carry with us not only the support and love of our families, our Navy and our country, but also the legacy of the 70 ‘Baseball Hall of Famers’ who served this nation honorably in uniform — men who left the game they loved to answer a higher calling. We are honored to represent them and carry their spirit forward because, after all, we are America’s Away Team.”
Cooperstown is the first ship to bear the name, and honors 70 military veterans who are members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, according to the USNORTHCOM release. “These particular veterans had their baseball careers interrupted in order to serve in conflicts ranging from the Civil War through the Korean War,” the release said. The Cooperstown belongs to the Navy’s 2nd Fleet, reestablished in 2018 to deploy Sailors, Airmen and other assets to defend domains in the Atlantic and Arctic.