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
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | Kingsville |
Namesake | Kingsville |
Awarded | 14 December 2018[1] |
Builder | Austal USA |
Laid down | 23 February 2022[2] |
Launched | 23 March 2023[3] |
Sponsored by | Katherine L. Kline |
Christened | 22 April 2023[4] |
Acquired | 1 March 2024[5] |
Commissioned | 24 August 2024 |
Identification | Hull number: LCS-36 |
Status | Commissioned |
Badge | |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Independence-class littoral combat ship |
Displacement | 2,307 metric tons light, 3,104 metric tons full, 797 metric tons deadweight |
Length | 127.4 m (418 ft) |
Beam | 31.6 m (104 ft) |
Draft | 14 ft (4.27 m) |
Propulsion | 2× gas turbines, 2× diesel, 4× waterjets, retractable Azimuth thruster, 4× diesel generators |
Speed | 40 knots (74 km/h; 46 mph)+, 47 knots (54 mph; 87 km/h) sprint |
Range | 4,300 nautical miles (8,000 km; 4,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)+ |
Capacity | 210 tonnes |
Complement | 40 core crew (8 officers, 32 enlisted) plus up to 35 mission crew |
Sensors and processing systems |
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Electronic warfare & decoys | |
Armament |
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Aircraft carried | 2× MH-60R/S Seahawks |
Design
editIn 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
editKingsville 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
edit- ^ a b "Kingsville (LCS-36)". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- ^ "Austal USA hosts keel laying ceremony for future USS Kingsville (LCS 36)" (Press release). Austal USA. 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- ^ "Austal USA launches USNS Cody (EPF 14) and Kingsville (LCS 36)" (Press release). Austal USA. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ^ "Austal USA christens future USS Kingsville (LCS 36)" (Press release). Austal USA. 22 April 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Osborn, Kris (27 June 2014). "Navy Engineers LCS Changes". www.dodbuzz.com. Monster. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ 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.
- This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.