Matthew Nelson
Austal USA christened the future USS Oakland littoral combat ship during a ceremony at the company’s Mobile, Ala., shipbuilding site Saturday.
Kate Brandt, sustainability officer at Google and a Distinguished Public Service Award recipient, performed the christening as the vessel’s sponsor, Austal said Saturday.
Codenamed LCS 24, USS Oakland is the Navy’s 19th Independence-class littoral combat ship and is built to perform anti-submarine, surface warfare and mine countermeasures missions. It is also equipped with sensor systems and can hold modular weapons and different vehicles.
Austal noted that it has handed over 10 expeditionary fast transport systems to the service branch and is slated to build two additional EPFs as part of a $371M contract modification.
