US Navy christens LCS Canberra

The US Navy has christened its newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the USS Canberra (LCS 30).

The christening ceremony took place on June 5 in Mobile, Alabama.

“We christen the second USS Canberra named for the great capital city of Australia, our stalwart ally and superb naval partner,” said acting Secretary of the US Navy Thomas Harker.

“In so doing we move one step closer to welcoming a new ship to Naval service and transitioning the platform from a mere hull number to a ship with a name and spirit.”

Two months ago, shipbuilder Austal USA launched the USS Canberra from its new floating dry dock in Mobile.

Canberra is the 15th LCS designed and constructed by Austal USA and the second US Navy ship to be named after the Australian capital. Austal USA is also constructing two expeditionary fast transport ships (EPF) for the US Navy with one more on contract awaiting start of construction.

LCS is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. The platform is capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence.

The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom-variant and the Independence-variant, designed and built by two industry teams. The Freedom variant team is led by Lockheed Martin in Marinette, Wisconsin (for the odd-numbered hulls). The Independence-variant team is led by Austal USA in Mobile, Ala., (for LCS 6 and the subsequent even-numbered hulls).

LCS 30 is the 15th Independence-variant LCS and 30th in class.