Regina Garcia
Austal USA has christened the future USS Kingsville (LCS 36), a littoral combat ship named for the Texan town and scheduled for delivery to the U.S. Navy in early 2024.
The Independence-class naval ship is the 18th LCS the Mobile, Alabama-based shipbuilder designed and constructed, Austal USA said Saturday.
USS Kingsville will be homeported in San Diego, California, where dry-docking and lifecycle sustainment activities will be held.
The ceremony was conducted at Austal USA’s Gulf Coast shipyard and was attended by ship sponsor, Katherine Kline, who led the bottle break tradition over the ship’s bow. The ship’s commanding officer, Ludwig Mann III, was also at the christening ceremony.
The Navy deploys Independence-variant LCS in near-shore and open-ocean settings to address coastal threats.
