USNS Harvey Milk Christened in San Diego

Posted on January 11, 2022 by
Military Sealift Command’s newest ship, fleet replenishment oiler USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206), slides into the water during the christening ceremony at General Dynamic NASSCO, San Diego. The ship honors Navy veteran and LGBT activist Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay candidates elected to public office as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978.

(This article originally appears courtesy of navy.mil)

 Fleet replenishment oiler USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206), the Military Sealift Command’s newest ship, was christened during a ceremony at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego.

The event was attended by the family of the ship’s namesake as well as other dignitaries included Carlos Del Torro, Secretary of the Navy;  former Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus; Vice Adm. Jeffery Hughes, Dep Chief Naval Operations for Warfighting Development;  Rear Admiral Stephen Barnett, Commander , Navy Region Southwest; Rear Adm. Michael Wettlaufer, Commander, Military Sealift Command; Capt. James White, Milk’s civil service master; Todd Gloria, Mayor, San Diego, Rep. Susan Davis (ret); Dr. Jen Campbell, San Diego Council President;  Anne Kronenberg, activist and Milk’s former campaign manager; members of the Harvey Milk Foundation, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

The ship honors Navy veteran and LGBT activist Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay candidates elected to public office as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978.   He was assassinated On November 10, 1978 (10 months after he was sworn in), by fellow City Supervisor, Dan White.  Milk was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 for his activism.  USNS Harvey Milk is the first ship named for an openly gay person.

“The secretary of the Navy needed to be here today, not just to amend the wrongs of the past, but to give inspiration to all of our LGBTQ community leaders who served in the Navy, in uniform today and in the civilian workforce as well too, and to tell them that we’re committed to them in the future,” Del Toro said, noting that Milk resigned his commission and discharged from the Navy for being gay.  “For far too long, sailors like Lt. j.g.  Milk were forced into the shadows or, worse yet, forced out of our beloved Navy. That injustice is part of our Navy history, but so is the perseverance of all who continue to serve in the face of injustice.”

“My uncle never dreamed of having a ship, or a street, or a park, or a school named after him,” said Stuart Milk, Harvey’s nephew and the keynote speaker at the ceremony. “What we celebrate today is that the Navy honors the difference between tolerance and acceptance.”

The 746 foot Milk is the second ship in the new John Lewis-class previously known as the TAO(X). This class of oilers has the ability to carry 162,000 barrels of diesel ship fuel, aviation fuel and dry stores cargo.  The upgraded oiler is built with double hulls to protect against oil spills and strengthened cargo and ballast tanks, and will be equipped with a basic self-defense capability, including crew served weapons, degaussing, and Nixie Torpedo decoys, and has space, weight, and power reservations for Close In Weapon Systems such as SeaRAMs, and an Anti-Torpedo Torpedo Defense System.  The Lewis-class of oilers will replace the current Kaiser Class fleet replenishment oilers and they age out of the MSC fleet. 

“A Navy veteran and tireless advocate for equality and universal rights, having Harvey Milk as the namesake for this ship as she adds to our Nation’s strategic advantage in agile logistics is absolutely awesome!” said Wettlaufer.   “With enhanced capabilities in storage and delivery of fuel and cargo, Harvey Milk will support our Navy in the away game as we keep our country safe far from home and protect the sea lines of communication.  Important to our economic vitality and assuring allies and partners, this ship will help promote freedom of access to international seas and the rules based international order that has sustained the peace over the last 70 years.” 

Speaking before breaking a bottle of champagne across the ship’s hull, the ship’s sponsor, Paula Neira, Clinical Program Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Transgender Health and a Navy veteran said, “When Harvey Milk sails, she’ll send a message both domestically and around the globe to everybody that believes in justice and freedom and liberty, that there is a place for you in this family.” 

Following the traditional champagne christening, Milk slid down into the water with its horn blowing, streamers flying and music from the Navy Band Southwest playing.

Five more Lewis-class oilers are on order for the Navy.  In July 2016, US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus that he would name the Lewis-class oilers after prominent civil rights activists and leaders including Earl Warren, Sojourner Truth, Lucy Stone and Robert F. Kennedy.

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LCS Santa Barbara Christened

Posted on January 11, 2022 by
Ship sponsor Lolita Zinke christens the future USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32). AUSTAL USA

(This article originally appears courtesy of Seapower Magazine)

 Austal USA hosted the christening ceremony for the future USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) Independence-variant littoral combat ship at the company’s Gulf Coast shipyard Oct. 16, the company said in a release. Ship sponsor Lolita Zinke performed the ceremonial bottle break over the bow of the Santa Barbara, the 16th LCS designed and constructed by Austal USA and the third U.S. Navy ship to be named after the California coast city. 

Zinke, wife of former U.S. member of Congress and former U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, was selected by then-Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer to be the ship sponsor of the future USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32). Zinke was born and raised in Santa Barbara. 

“I could never have imagined I would be standing here today ready to christen a Navy ship,” Zinke said, “let alone one named after my home town.”  

Austal USA President Rusty Murdaugh welcomed the official party and community members and employees who attended the ceremony. 

“I am proud to represent the Austal shipbuilding team today as we commemorate a significant milestone in the life of this incredible warship,” said Murdaugh. “Our talented team of shipbuilders is proud to provide our Navy with an extraordinarily capable vessel that will honor the great city of Santa Barbara as she becomes a vital part of the U.S. naval fleet protecting our Nation.” 

Santa Barbara (LCS 32) is the 16th of 19 small surface combatants Austal USA is building for the U.S. Navy. Five littoral combat ships are under various stages of construction. Austal USA is also constructing two Expeditionary Fast Transport ships for the U.S. Navy with another beginning construction next month, and the company also was recently awarded a contract to build two steel Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue ships. 

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Future USS Carl M. Levin Christened

Posted on January 11, 2022 by
Erica Levin, left, Kate Levin Markel, center, and Laura Levin, the daughters of late Sen. Carl M. Levin, D-Michigan, smash sparkling wine bottles to christen a warship named for the senator, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

This article originally appeared courtesy of the Navy Times

The future USS Carl M. Levin was christened Saturday by the Michigan senator’s daughters, who simultaneously smashed bottles of sparkling wine against the warship’s bow at Bath Iron Works.

Daughters Erica Levin, Laura Levin and Kate Levin Markel honored their late father, the longtime Armed Services Committee chairman, who died at 87 on July 29 after battling cancer.

Afterward, they waved from the ship’s deck — about 30 feet above the assembly — as a band played “Anchors Aweigh.”

Levin’s nephew, U.S. Rep. Andy Levin, D-Mich., said his “Uncle Carl” was “overwhelmed by the honor.”

“I can honestly say, amidst all the accolades he received in fifty years of public service, this one meant most to him, and it truly captures his devotion to our nation,” said the congressman, who was joined at the event by other family members, including Carl Levin’s wife, Barbara, and Levin’s older brother, former U.S. Rep. Sander Levin.

The warship’s namesake served for 36 years in the U.S. Senate and served as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, becoming an expert on defense matters. Before that, he was an attorney and member of the Detroit City Council, serving four years as president.

He was universally praised by those who spoke at the event for his work on behalf the military, service members and veterans.

The current chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, called him a “fearless, selfless leader.” Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who counted Levin as a “cherished friend,” called him a “model of integrity, intelligence and commitment.”

Others attending the event included Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, Gov. Janet Mills and Maine’s other U.S. senator, Angus King; and Navy officials including the ship’s prospective skipper and crew.

It was a smaller-than-normal ceremony. Because of the pandemic, it was an invitation-only event with several hundred guests instead of a typical gathering of several thousand people. Shipbuilders were encouraged to watch a livestream of the event.

While Levin died before Saturday’s milestone, he had visited the shipyard a couple of times to meet with shipbuilders.

He attended a ceremony that marked construction of the ship in 2019, when he and his daughters donned visors and participated in welding their names on a plate that went on the ship.

Kate Levin Markel told the crowd that her father’s connection to the ship “kept his spirits high through his last days” and that he had even prepared a speech before he passed away. Another sister, Erica Levin, read the address in which Levin thanked shipbuilders and spoke of the “incredible honor” of having a ship bearing his name.

Christening of a Navy warship marks a milestone in construction. More work must be completed before sea trials are conducted and the Navy takes ownership before formal commissioning. The warship will eventually be based at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers like the future USS Carl Levin are the workhorse of the U.S. fleet.

The 510-foot-long destroyers can easily top 30 knots while simultaneously waging war with enemy ships, submarines, missiles and aircraft. They’re also built to withstand chemical attacks.

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Navy Commissions USS Vermont (SSN 792)

Posted on October 14, 2021 by
210828-N-GR655-018 GROTON, Conn. (August 28, 2021) – The crew of the USS Vermont (SSN 792) stand at attention during a commissioning commemoration onboard Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn., Aug. 28. Vermont and crew operate under Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) FOUR, whose primary mission is to provide fast-attack submarines that are ready, willing, and able to meet the unique challenges of undersea combat and deployed operations in unforgiving environments across the globe. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Joshua Karsten/RELEASED)

(Original article appears courtesy of Navy.mil)

The Navy celebrated the commissioning of USS Vermont (SSN 792), the first Block IV Virginia-class submarine to enter service, Saturday, Aug. 28, at Naval Submarine Base New London

“Vermonters have served with valor from the highest mountains to the depths of the ocean,” said Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, who served as the event’s keynote speaker and was attending his first ship ceremony as secretary.

“This vessel has already proven itself in service, not only because it was designed the right way, but because of the exemplary work of the men aboard,” he continued.

Vermont was administratively commissioned on April 18, 2020, but due to restrictions on large gatherings because of the COVID-19 pandemic at the time, no traditional commissioning ceremony was held. To ensure the health and safety of the crew and all those in attendance during the ceremony Saturday, attendance was limited and no public or media tours were held. Masks were required in all indoor spaces and encouraged in outdoor spaces.

Since its administrative commissioning, USS Vermont has been an active submarine in the U.S. Navy, including participation in anti-submarine warfare exercises alongside the Brazilian navy in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations in December of 2020.

In addition to Del Toro, Rear Adm. Douglas Perry, director of undersea warfare on the chief of naval operations’ staff and a Vermont native, was among those who spoke at the Saturday ceremony.

Perry spoke of the legacies of previous Navy ships with Vermont ties and military heroes from the state’s past, like Ethan Allen during the Revolutionary War and 19th Century Admiral of the Navy George Dewey.

“The Green Mountain State’s legacy of naval service runs deep,” Perry said. “You join a rich history of honorable service.”

This is the third U.S. Navy ship to bear the name Vermont, but first in a century. The first was one of nine 74-gun warships authorized by Congress in 1816. The second, Battleship No. 20, was commissioned in 1907 and first deployed in December of that year as part of the “Great White Fleet.” The battleship Vermont was decommissioned June 30, 1920.

The submarine Vermont was christened in a traditional ceremony at General Dynamics’ Electric Boat shipyard in Groton, Connecticut, on Oct. 20, 2018.

“She was built by the best, for the best, and is the best of the best,” said Gloria Valdez, the ship sponsor and a former deputy assistant secretary of the Navy overseeing shipbuilding and modernization. “She is the most technologically advanced submarine in the world.”

USS Vermont is 377 feet long, has a 34-foot beam and will be able to dive to depths greater than 800 feet and operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots submerged. She has a crew of more than 130 Navy personnel.

“We get to finally say, ‘The ship’s in commission, thank you so much to everyone who supported us,’” said Cmdr. Charles Phillips, the commanding officer of USS Vermont. “This represents the people of Vermont. We want to make them proud and let them justify their confidence in us as we defend our country.”

Fast-attack submarines are multi-mission platforms enabling five of the six Navy maritime strategy core capabilities – sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security and deterrence. They are designed to excel in anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare and mine warfare. Fast-attack submarines project power ashore with special operations forces and Tomahawk cruise missiles in the prevention or preparation of regional crises.

Block IV Virginia-class submarines incorporate design changes focused on reduced total ownership cost. By making these smaller-scale design changes to increase the component-level lifecycle of the submarine, the Navy will increase the periodicity between depot maintenance availabilities and increase the number of deployments.

Blocks I-III Virginia-class submarines are planned to undergo four depot maintenance availabilities and conduct 14 deployments. Block IV design changes are intended to reduce planned availabilities by one to three, and increase deployments to 15.

Also speaking at the ceremony Saturday were members of the Vermont and Connecticut congressional delegations: U.S. Rep. Peter Welch of Vermont, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney of Connecticut and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.

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Navy Christens LPD USS Fort Lauderdale

Posted on October 14, 2021 by
Official christening of amphibious transport dock Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28). (Credit: Derek Fountain/HII)

(Original appears courtesy of Naval Technology)

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division has held the naming ceremony of the US Navy’s newest landing platform/dock (LPD) 28 at its shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

The 12th San Antonio-class amphibious transport ship was christened as Fort Lauderdale by its sponsor Meredith Berger. It is the first navy vessel to bear the name of the Florida city.

The division supplied 12 San Antonio-class ships to the US Navy, with two additional ships currently under construction. They include Richard M McCool Jr (LPD 29) and Harrisburg (LPD 30).

Berger said: “We are finally here together to celebrate the christening of the USS Fort Lauderdale. In these times, together doesn’t quite look like what it used to.

“Some of us are here at Ingalls, some are watching remotely from home, but we are all together in spirit. Through our ties to this ship, we strengthen the relationship between the military and the nation.”

Due to the ongoing pandemic situation, the christening ceremony was livestreamed and conducted with very limited attendance.

The 684ft-long San Antonio-class ships are designed to support a variety of amphibious assault, special operations, or expeditionary warfare missions.

They are capable of operating independently or as part of amphibious readiness groups, expeditionary strike groups, or joint task forces.

In March last year, the US Navy announced the launch of USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28).

In October 2017, LPD 28 underwent a keel laying ceremony at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) yard.

Fort Lauderdale mayor Dean Trantalis said: “Fort Lauderdale has had a close, long connection to the armed services.

“The people of today who serve in our military, especially in the navy, have come to understand and appreciate the city of Fort Lauderdale.”

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Navy Christens USS Nantucket (LCS 27)

Posted on October 14, 2021 by
Ship sponsor Polly Spencer breaks a bottle during the christening ceremony (Lockheed Martin)

(Original article appears courtesy of the Nantucket Inquirer and Mirror)

The USS Nantucket, the  first  U.S. Navy ship to be named after the island in more than 100 years, was christened Saturday in  Marinette, Wis.

The christening ceremony marked the transition of the ship from new construction to its tests and trials phase and was celebrated with the traditional breaking of a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.

Town manager Libby Gibson and harbormaster Sheila Lucey were among the guests at the christening. Summer resident Polly Spencer, ship sponsor and wife of Richard V. Spencer, the 76th Secretary of the U.S. Navy from 2017 to 2019, christened the ship.

The last USS Nantucket was commissioned in 1862 to serve during the American Civil War.

The ship is a 388-foot Freedom-class littoral combat ship, a relatively small vessel intended for operations close to shore. According to the Navy, it is designed to “defeat threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft.”

The USS Nantucket, the third commissioned U.S. Navy ship to bear the island’s name, was built by Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Marinette.

It will be homeported in Florida.

The name was chosen to “honor the maritime history and heritage of the people of Nantucket,” Navy spokesman Lt. Joshua Kelsey said. The last Nantucket was commissioned in 1862 by the Union Navy during the Civil War.

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Navy Christens Future USS Hyman G. Rickover

Posted on October 14, 2021 by
210731-N-GR655-298 GROTON, Conn. (July 31, 2021) – Sarah Greenert McNichol, Matron of Honor for the future USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 795), christens the ship during a ceremony at General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard facility in Groton, Conn., July 31, 2021. Rickover and crew will operate under Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) FOUR whose primary mission is to provide attack submarines that are ready, willing, and able to meet the unique challenges of undersea combat and deployed operations in unforgiving environments across the globe. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Joshua Karsten/RELEASED)

(Original article appears courtesy of Navy.mil)

The Navy’s newest Virginia-class attack submarine, future USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 795), was christened during a ceremony at General Dynamics’ Electric Boat shipyard facility in Groton, Connecticut, July 31.

“This submarine is a fitting tribute to Admiral Rickover, who truly transformed our Navy,” said Adm. James Caldwell, director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, during his remarks at the celebration.

Caldwell credited Rickover – who served for 63 years in the Navy and is credited with spurring the service to adopt nuclear propulsion after World War II – with not only technological advances but cultural ones. He lauded Rickover’s legendary work ethic, frankness, attention to detail and commitment to excellence, which he said has since permeated throughout the Navy.

“It’s really great to see this ship come together, and to see so many people here to celebrate the christening of the Hyman G. Rickover and honor the Hyman G. Rickover legacy,” said Cmdr. Thomas Niebel, commanding officer of the newly christened submarine.

The Honorable James F. Geurts, performing the duties of Under Secretary of the Navy, told those in attendance that the construction of the future USS Hyman G. Rickover is a testament to the dedication of America’s shipbuilders and sailors.

“We did not close a shipyard, public or private, for one day during the pandemic,” Geurts said. “The sustained commitment to excellence displayed by this workforce shows in the construction of this boat and adheres to the culture of excellence promoted by Hyman G. Rickover.

“It’s not just a matter of having the world’s best ships,” he continued, “you have to have the world’s best sailors to maintain the world’s best Navy, and we have both.”

Darleen Greenert, the submarine’s sponsor, a Navy veteran, and wife of former Chief of Naval Operations Jonathan Greenert, highlighted the sacrifice of military families during her remarks, and remembered the late Eleonore Rickover, the namesake admiral’s wife.

“She set the bar [for ship sponsors],” Darleen Greenert said of Eleonore Rickover, who was the sponsor for a previous Los Angeles-class submarine to bear the Hyman G. Rickover name, SSN 709. “She loved her crew.”

The first Hyman G. Rickover was commissioned at Submarine Base, New London, in Groton, on July 21, 1984. SSN 709 and its crew deployed 12 times until its decommissioning in December 2007. Over the years, its decorations included the Atlantic Fleet Golden Anchor Award, Submarine Squadron Eight’s anti-submarine warfare white “A” and engineering red “E” awards and the prestigious Sixth Fleet “Hook ‘Em” award for anti-submarine warfare excellence.

Greenert asked family members of the crew of the future USS Hyman G. Rickover to stand together when her daughter, Matron of Honor Sarah Greenert McNichol, broke the ceremonial bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.

Other speakers at the ceremony included Electric Boat President Kevin Graney, Newport News Shipbuilding President Jennifer Boykin, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-CT and U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin, D-RI.

Rickover will eventually joint the fleet with a displacement of 7,835 tons, crew of 132, and a weapons payload of 12 vertical launch systems and four torpedo tubes.

Fast-attack submarines like Rickover are multi-mission platforms enabling five of the six Navy maritime strategy core capabilities – sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security, and deterrence. The submarine is designed to excel in anti-submarine warfare; anti-ship warfare; strike warfare; special operations; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare – from open ocean anti-submarine warfare to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, to projecting power ashore with Special Operation Forces and Tomahawk cruise missiles in the prevention or preparation of regional crises.

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Navy Christens USNS John Lewis (TAO 25)

Posted on October 14, 2021 by
Ship Sponsor Alfie Wooderd Chris (USNI News)

(Originally article appears courtesy of USNI News)

The first of the Navy’s new replenishment oilers was christened on Saturday.

In a ceremony in San Diego, Calif., the Navy christened the future USNS John Lewis (T-AO-205), the first ship in the service’s new class of oilers.

“Leaders like Representative Lewis taught us that diversity of backgrounds and experiences help contribute to the strength of our nation. There is no doubt that the future Sailors aboard this ship will be galvanized by Lewis’ legacy,” Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Harker said in a Pentagon news release.

Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) died last July after serving in Congress for more than 30 years. Today’s christening ceremony took place on the anniversary of his passing, the Pentagon noted.

General Dynamics-National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) builds the oilers in its San Diego yard. The ships will fall under Military Sealift Command.

“The John Lewis-class ships are based on commercial design standards and will recapitalize the current T-AO 187-class fleet replenishment oilers to provide underway replenishment of fuel to U.S. Navy ships at sea. These ships are part of the Navy’s Combat Logistics Force,” the Pentagon news release reads.

House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was the ceremony’s main speaker, while several Navy officials – including U.S. 10th Fleet commander Vice Adm. Ross Myers, Military Sealift Command chief Rear Adm. Michael Wettlaufer, and James Geurts, who is currently performing the duties of the undersecretary of the Navy and previously was the service’s acquisition chief – also spoke at the event, according to the Defense Department release.

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Keel Laid for Future USS Cleveland

Posted on July 30, 2021 by
A welder authenticates the keel of Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 31, the future USS Cleveland, by welding the initials of the ship’s sponsor, Robyn Modly, wife of a Clevelander and former U.S. Navy secretary, who has embraced the city as her own. (LOCKHEED MARTIN)

(Original article appears courtesy of Seapower Magazine)

Lockheed Martin celebrated the keel-laying of the future littoral combat ship (LCS) USS Cleveland in June 17 ceremonies at the Fincantieri Marinete Marine shipyard in Wisconsin. 

A welder authenticated the keel of LCS 31, the future USS Cleveland, by welding the initials of the ship’s sponsor, Robyn Modly, wife of Thomas B. Modly, a Clevelander and former U.S. Navy secretary. 

“I am humbled and honored to be the sponsor of a ship that bears the name of the great city of Cleveland, with its rich and storied history of support to our armed services,” Modly said. “I look forward to a lifelong relationship with the ship and her crew as they proudly serve the Navy and our nation.” 

The laying of the keel celebrates an important milestone in the life of the future USS Cleveland (LCS 31) and marks a significant event for the construction of the nation’s 31st LCS. The USS Cleveland will be the fourth commissioned ship in naval service, since World War I, named after Cleveland, the second-largest city in Ohio and home to countless Navy and Marine Corps veterans. With the city’s deep ties to maritime service since the turn of the 20th century, LCS 31 will honor Cleveland’s longstanding naval history. 

“We are proud to build another proven warship that allows our Navy to carry out missions around the world,” said Steve Allen, Lockheed Martin Vice President of Small Combatants and Ship Systems. “All of us at Lockheed Martin, including our hardworking team in Marinette, Wisconsin, look forward to working with the U.S. Navy to continue delivering highly capable and adaptable Freedom-variant littoral combat ships to the fleet.”  

“Our team at Fincantieri Marinette Marine is proud to celebrate the keel laying of the LCS 31 with the gracious citizens of Cleveland,” said Jan Allman, CEO of Fincantieri Marinette Marine. “This milestone is a testament to the power of cooperation and forward thinking by the entire Freedom team and our customer, the United States Navy. It also bears witness to all the dedicated craftsmen and women working in our FMG system of shipyards.” 

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Navy Christens USS Canberra (LCS 30)

Posted on July 30, 2021 by
The christening of the USS Canberra, LCS 30, at Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama, Saturday, June 5. (AUSTAL USA)

(Original article appears courtesy of Seapower Magazine)

Austal USA hosted the christening ceremony for the future USS Canberra (LCS 30) Independence-variant littoral combat ship on June 5, the company said in a release. Canberra is the 15th LCS designed and constructed by Austal USA and the second U.S. Navy ship to be named after the Australian capital. 

“Today, just 16 years after Austal USA joined the U.S. defense industrial base, the company is hosting its 15th littoral combat ship christening – LCS 30, a ship proudly named after the capital of Australia and yet another symbol of the great ties between our two countries,” stated Austal USA Interim President Rusty Murdaugh in his address to the audience at the ceremony. 

The ship’s sponsor, Australian Senator and Foreign Minister Marise Payne, attended the ship’s keel laying ceremony in Mobile early last year, but was unable to attend today’s christening ceremony. 

Alison Petchell, the Australian Government’s Minister Counsellor Defense Materiel, christened the future USS Canberra (LCS 30). 

Canberra (LCS 30) is the 15th of 19 small surface combatants Austal USA is building for the U.S. Navy. Five are under various stages of construction and a sixth is on contract waiting to start construction. Austal USA is also constructing two Expeditionary Fast Transport ships (EPF) for the U.S. Navy with one more on contract awaiting start of construction. 

The company recently broke ground on its new steel manufacturing line to expand its shipbuilding capability to service the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard’s rising demand for steel ships. 

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