U.S. Navy Commissions Newest Ship Via Naval Message due to Coronavirus

The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest ship the USS Kansas City, an Independence-variant littoral combat ship in a unique ceremony on June 20, 2020. The vessel was commissioned via naval message, due to public health safety and restrictions of large public gatherings related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Vice Adm. Richard A. Brown, Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, transitioned the ship to normal operations pointing out the ship’s capabilities to counter diesel submarine, mines, and fast surface craft threats to the premier Surface Force in the world.

“Like other littoral combat ships, Kansas City brings speed and agility to the fleet,” said Brown via naval message. “Congratulations to Kansas City’s Captain and crew for all of your hard work to reach this milestone. You join a proud Surface Force that controls the seas and provides the Nation with combat naval power when and where needed.”

Cmdr. R.J. Zamberlan, the commanding officer of the USS Kansas City during the ship's commissioning ceremony - U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alex Corona

 

Kansas City is the 11 ship of the Independence-variant to join the fleet. The littoral combat ship, according to the Navy, is a fast, agile, and networked surface combatant, and the primary mission for the LCS includes countering diesel submarine threats, littoral mine threats, and surface threats to assure maritime access for joint forces. The underlying strength of the LCS lies in its innovative design approach, applying modularity for operational flexibility.

Fundamental to this approach is the capability to rapidly install interchangeable mission packages (MPs) onto the seaframe to fulfill a specific mission and then be uninstalled, maintained, and upgraded at the Mission Package Support Facility (MPSF) for future use aboard any LCS seaframe.

Recognizing the unusual circumstances of the commissioning ceremony, the Navy said it would look at a future opportunity to commemorate the special event with the ship’s sponsor, crew, and commissioning committee.