US Navy commissions littoral combat ship USS Kingsville

The U.S. Navy commissioned Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Kingsville (LCS 36) at the Solomon P. Ortiz Center, on August 24, 2024.

Kingsville, the 18th Independence-variant LCS, is the first to bear this name and pays homage to the city of Kingsville and the King Ranch.

During the ceremony, Kingsville’s commanding officer Cmdr. Ludwig Mann III, reported the ship manned and ready.

“This experience is a unique one and should be cherished. You will create a culture that I am sure will last as the Kingsville way for decades to come,” said Skillmanm.

The ship’s sponsor is a member of the sixth generation of the King Ranch family, descendants of steamboat captain Richard King who founded the King Ranch in Kingsville in 1853.

The King Ranch continues to foster a relationship with Naval Air Station Kingsville which was founded in 1942 and is located three miles from the city’s center.

Independence-variant littoral combat ships are fast, optimally manned combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environment.

LCSs integrate with joint combined, manned and unmanned teams to support forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions.