The USS Little Rock (LCS-9), a brand new U.S. Navy warship that has been stuck in Montreal for weeks due to icy weather, will spend the rest of the winter in Canada.
The littoral combat ship, which was commissioned in Buffalo, New York on Dec. 16, was beginning its maiden journey to its home port in Jacksonville, Florida when, on Christmas Eve, it could not move through the ice in the St. Lawrence Seaway.
The St. Lawrence Seaway connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean and flows through Montreal.
The Little Rock is now in a port in Montreal, waiting for the weather to improve before she may continue her journey to the Sunshine State, the Canadian Press reported Sunday.
Navy spokesperson Lt.-Cmdr. Courtney Hillson explained the Little Rock's situation in Montreal to the Canadian Press.
"The temperatures in Montreal and throughout the transit area have been colder than normal, and included near-record low temperatures, which created significant and historical conditions in the late December, early January time frame," Hillson said. "Keeping the ship in Montreal until waterways are clear ensures the safety of the ship and crew, and will have limited impact on the ship's operational schedule."
The $440 million warship, whose new homeport will be at Naval Station Mayport, was commissioned next to the first USS Little Rock, a World War II cruiser which is currently a museum ship. The ceremony marked the first time a U.S. Navy warship was commissioned next to a ship of the same name.