U.S. Navy commissioned its 20th littoral combat ship

The U.S. Navy commissioned the newest littoral combat ship, USS Cincinnati (LCS 20) during a ceremony in Gulfport, Mississippi.

“I hereby place the United States Ship Cincinnati in commission. May God bless and guide this warship and all who shall sail in her,” said Adm. James Foggo during a ceremony Saturday in Gulfport.

The USS Cincinnati is the ninth of the Independence-variant and 20th littoral combat ship of a planned 32 ships in two designs. Furthermore, it’s the fifth Navy vessel to bear the name of the “Queen City” of Ohio.

The first was a stern-wheel casemate gunboat that served during the Civil War and was sunk by Confederate fire on two separate occasions. Raised both times and returned to service, she was decommissioned following the war.

The second Cincinnati was a cruiser commissioned in 1894. She served extensively in the Caribbean before, during, and after the Spanish-American War before being decommissioned in 1919.

The third ship to bear the name was a light cruiser commissioned in 1924 that served around the world and earned a battle star for World War II service that included convoy escort and blockade duty. She was decommissioned in 1945 after the war ended.

The fourth Cincinnati was a Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine commissioned in 1978. The boat served for 17 years before being decommissioned in 1995.

LCS is a modular, reconfigurable ship, designed to meet validated fleet requirements for surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and mine countermeasures missions in the littoral region.

The Cincinnati was built by General Dynamics and Austal USA. It holds up to 40 sailors and carries two MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopters and a MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned autonomous helicopter.

An interchangeable mission package is embarked on each LCS and provides the primary mission systems in one of these warfare areas. Using an open architecture design, modular weapons, sensor systems and a variety of manned and unmanned vehicles to gain, sustain and exploit littoral maritime supremacy, LCS provides U.S. joint force access to critical areas in multiple theaters.