© 2026. The Trustees of Indiana University
Copyright Complaints
1229 East Seventh Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47405
News, Arts and Culture from WFIU Public Radio and WTIU Public Television
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

4th USS Indianapolis Commissioned At Northern Indiana Port

The Navy has commissioned its new USS Indianapolis combat vessel at Burns Harbor along Lake Michigan.

The ceremony Saturday drew dignitaries, Navy officials, four survivors of the ship's namesake sunk during World War II and family members of current crew members.

Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Navy veteran, noted the Freedom-class littoral ship was made with Indiana steel. He also says the ship carries a "historic legacy" of the second USS Indianapolis that was sunk by a Japanese submarine in July 1945 while returning from delivering key components for the Hiroshima atomic bomb. Only 317 of its nearly 1,200 crewmen survived the sinking and days in shark-infested waters.

The new ship will be based near Jacksonville, Florida. It's designed to be highly maneuverable for missions such as mine-clearing and anti-submarine warfare.