The USS Little Rock, a Navy warship named for Arkansas' capital city, finally broke free after being stuck in ice on the St. Lawrence River for three months after its December commissioning.
The littoral combat ship is now on its way to its home port in Mayport, Fla., according to a news release Tuesday from the USS Little Rock Commissioning Committee.
On Dec. 16, along the Buffalo, N.Y., waterfront, the ship was ceremoniously brought to life alongside the original USS Little Rock. The elder ship was first put in service in 1945 and is now a 610-foot floating museum.
Then there was trouble. The newer ship got trapped in ice near Montreal around Christmas Eve, the Toronto Star first reported.
It remained there, with a crew of about 70, until it finally left Saturday, the U.S. Naval Institute reported.
"The ship was moored at the Port of Montreal until weather conditions improved and the St. Lawrence Seaway melted enough for the safe passage of the ship," Lt. Cmdr. Courtney Hillson told the outlet.
"Keeping the ship in Montreal until weather conditions improved ensured the safety of the ship and crew."
The ship was manufactured by Lockheed Martin and is a small, agile model meant for operations close to shore.
The news release did not say when the ship is expected to reach Florida.
Metro on 04/04/2018