Marinette Marine Corp., in partnership with Lockheed Martin, is to build two additional Littoral Combat Ships for the U.S. Navy.

Fincantieri of Italy, Marinette Marine's parent company, says the work comes under a contract modification for one fully funded Littoral Combat Ship (LCS 21) along with advanced procurement funding for another.

The modification also includes a priced option for one additional LCS ship to be funded next year.

Fincatieri said the total value of the award is about $232 million.

"The U.S. Congress has approved total funding for LCS 21 and, for LCS 23, has approved funding for advanced procurement that allows the cost and schedule of the final block buy option to be maintained, with total funding for this latter vessel anticipated by 31 December 2015," Fincantieri said. "These ships are the last two units of the 10 Freedom-class vessels within the LCS program, awarded in 2010 to MMC through Fincantieri's partnership with ... Lockheed Martin Corp."

Eight LCS vessels are under construction at Marinette Marine's shipyard. Among them are the Milwaukee (LCS 5), which will be delivered to the Navy this summer; and the Little Rock, which is being launched this summer as well.

Littoral combat ships – in Freedom and Independence variants – are midsize multi-role vessels for surveillance activities and the defeat of asymmetrical threats, such as mines, silent diesel submarines and fast surface ships, in coastal waters.