The Navy’s newest littoral combat ship, the Billings, sustained minor damage Friday afternoon when it struck a moored commercial vessel while getting underway in Montreal, Naval Surface Force Atlantic officials confirmed Wednesday.

No one was injured and the damage to the pre-commissioned vessel occurred above the waterline, according to command spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Courtney Hillson.

The Billings was in Canada as part of a routine transit ahead of its August commissioning in Key West, Florida, she said.

It struck the larger Canada-flagged bulk cargo vessel Rosaire A. Desgagnes, which remains moored in Montreal.

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While the LCS Billings remains able to proceed to its future homeport at Naval Station Mayport in Florida, Hillson indicated it will remain in Montreal to undergo a full damage assessment.

The Navy took possession of the Freedom-class variant in February.

Hillson said Friday’s incident remains under investigation and will not affect the commissioning schedule.

Geoff is the editor of Navy Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.

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