Keel-Laid for Navy's 10th LCS at Austal Yard
The Navy and Austal USA held a keel-laying ceremony for the future 'USS Gabrielle Giffords', the Navy's 10th littoral combat ship (LCS), in Mobile, Ala., informs the Program Executive Office Littoral Combat Ships.
The ship's sponsor, Roxanna Green, was unable to attend the ceremony. The ship's namesake, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, authenticated the keel by having her initials welded into a sheet of the ship's hull.
"It is a special day for all of us on the Gulf Coast to have the ship's namesake, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, here with us for the keel laying ceremony of LCS 10, the future USS Gabrielle Giffords," said Capt. Joseph Tuite, Supervisor of Shipbuilding (SUPSHIP) Gulf Coast.
LCS is a new class of U.S. Navy warship, capable of open-ocean operation, but optimized for littoral, or coastal, missions. LCS 10 is one of five Independence-variant LCS currently under construction at Austal USA. The ship is expected to deliver to the fleet in 2017.
"This is an important milestone for the Navy. I look forward to closely following the completion of the future USS Gabrielle Giffords, as well as her sister ships, as we bring this tremendous capability to the fleet," said Rear Adm. Brian Antonio, program executive officer, Littoral Combat Ships.
The future USS Gabrielle Giffords will be approximately 420 feet in length, have a waterline beam of about 103 feet, displace approximately 3,000 tons, and make speed in excess of 40 knots. The construction will be led by Austal Shipbuilding in Mobile, Ala.
This is the 16th ship to be named for a woman and the 13th ship to be named for a living person since 1850.