Future USS Kansas City reaches San Diego homeport

 The next US Navy ship to be commissioned and carry the Kansas City name arrived at its homeport in San Diego on May 24.

The future USS Kansas City (LCS 22) arrived for the first time at Naval Base San Diego, where the navy will commission the Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) on June 20.

“I am extremely proud of all the hard work the crew has done to complete the sail around and prepare us to officially join the fleet on commissioning day,” said Cmdr. RJ Zamberlan, Kansas City’s commanding officer.

Kansas City will be homeported in San Diego with sister ships USS Independence (LCS 2), USS Coronado (LCS 4), USS Jackson (LCS 6), USS Montgomery (LCS 8), USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), USS Omaha (LCS 12), USS Manchester (LCS 14), USS ulsa (LCS 16), USS Charleston (LCS 18), and USS Cincinnati (LCS 20).

Kansas City was built in Mobile, Alabama by Austal USA in conjunction with General Dynamics. Prior to departing Mobile for San Diego, Kansas City’s crew conducted a 21-day restriction in movement (ROM) in accordance with US Navy pre-deployment guidelines.

Due to public health safety and restrictions of large public events related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the navy cancelled the traditional public commissioning ceremony for the future USS Kansas City. The newbuild will be commissioned via naval message and transition the ship into service as scheduled.

Kansas City is the 21st LCS to be delivered to the navy, and the 11th of the Independence-variant to join the fleet. LCS 22 is the second ship to be named for Kansas City, the largest city in the state of Missouri. The name Kansas City was assigned to a heavy cruiser during World War II; however, construction was canceled after one month due to the end of the war. The name Kansas City was also assigned to the Wichita-class replenishment oiler AOR-3 in 1967. This ship saw service in the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm and was decommissioned in 1994.