USS Kingsville (LCS-36) is an Independence-class littoral combat ship of the United States Navy.[1][6] She will be the first ship to be named for Kingsville, Texas, which is home to Naval Air Station Kingsville.[6]

Sister ship USS Independence
History
United States
NameKingsville
NamesakeKingsville
Awarded14 December 2018[1]
BuilderAustal USA
Laid down23 February 2022[2]
Launched23 March 2023[3]
Sponsored byKatherine L. Kline
Christened22 April 2023[4]
Acquired1 March 2024[5]
Commissioned24 August 2024
IdentificationHull number: LCS-36
StatusCommissioned
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeIndependence-class littoral combat ship
Displacement2,307 metric tons light, 3,104 metric tons full, 797 metric tons deadweight
Length127.4 m (418 ft)
Beam31.6 m (104 ft)
Draft14 ft (4.27 m)
Propulsion2× gas turbines, 2× diesel, 4× waterjets, retractable Azimuth thruster, 4× diesel generators
Speed40 knots (74 km/h; 46 mph)+, 47 knots (54 mph; 87 km/h) sprint
Range4,300 nautical miles (8,000 km; 4,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)+
Capacity210 tonnes
Complement40 core crew (8 officers, 32 enlisted) plus up to 35 mission crew
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Sea Giraffe 3D Surface/Air RADAR
  • Bridgemaster-E Navigational RADAR
  • AN/KAX-2 EO/IR sensor for GFC
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • EDO ES-3601 ESM
  • SRBOC rapid bloom chaff launchers
Armament
Aircraft carriedMH-60R/S Seahawks

Design

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In 2002, the United States Navy initiated a program to develop the first of a fleet of littoral combat ships.[7] The Navy initially ordered two trimaran hulled ships from General Dynamics, which became known as the Independence-class littoral combat ship after the first ship of the class, USS Independence.[7] Even-numbered US Navy littoral combat ships are built using the Independence-class trimaran design, while odd-numbered ships are based on a competing design, the conventional monohull Freedom-class littoral combat ship.[7] The initial order of littoral combat ships involved a total of four ships, including two of the Independence-class design.[7] On 29 December 2010, the Navy announced that it was awarding Austal USA a contract to build ten additional Independence-class littoral combat ships.[8][9] The Kingsville is designed to travel upwards of 45mph, making it one of the fastest vessels in the navy.[10]

Construction and career

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Kingsville was constructed in Mobile, Alabama by Austal USA. The Navy accepted delivery of the vessel on 1 March 2024, with commissioning expected to follow in mid-2024.[5] Homeport will be San Diego, California where it will travel to after being commissioned in Corpus Christi, Texas on August 24, 2024.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Kingsville (LCS-36)". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Austal USA hosts keel laying ceremony for future USS Kingsville (LCS 36)" (Press release). Austal USA. 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  3. ^ "Austal USA launches USNS Cody (EPF 14) and Kingsville (LCS 36)" (Press release). Austal USA. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  4. ^ "Austal USA christens future USS Kingsville (LCS 36)" (Press release). Austal USA. 22 April 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  5. ^ a b "U.S. Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Kingsville (LCS 36)". Naval Sea Systems Command. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Secretary of the Navy Names Independence-Variant Littoral Combat Ship USS Kingsville" (Press release). United States Navy. 4 February 2019. NNS190204-10. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d "US Navy Fact File: Littoral Combat Ship Class – LCS". US Navy. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  8. ^ Special from Navy Office of Information (29 December 2010). "Littoral Combat Ship Contract Award Announced" (Press release). Navy News Service. NNS101229-09. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  9. ^ Osborn, Kris (27 June 2014). "Navy Engineers LCS Changes". www.dodbuzz.com. Monster. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  10. ^ a b Robbins, Gary (22 August 2024). "San Diego-bound warship USS Kingsville to be commissioned Saturday". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 22 August 2024.