The Navy will commission its newest littoral combat ship, the trimaran-hull USS Coronado, on Saturday during a ceremony at Naval Air Station, North Island in the warship’s namesake city of Coronado.
Adm. Mark Ferguson, vice chief of naval operations, will deliver the ceremony’s principal address. Susan Ring Keith, a long-time leader in the San Diego community, will serve as ship’s sponsor. The ceremony will be highlighted by a time-honored Navy tradition when Keith gives the first order to “man our ship and bring her to life!”
“The commissioning of USS Coronado is a celebration of the history of the great city of Coronado and its lasting relationship with our Navy and Marine Corps,” said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus. “When she sets sail for distant shores, Coronado, and ships like her, will have a vital role maintaining freedom of the seas, and providing naval presence in the right place, all the time.”
Cmdr. Shawn Johnston, a native of North Carolina, is the commanding officer of the ship’s gold crew and will lead the core crew of 40 officers and enlisted personnel.
The 2,790-ton Coronado was built by Austal USA Shipbuilding in Mobile, Ala. The ship is 417 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 100 feet, and a navigational draft of 15 feet. The ship uses two gas turbine and two diesel engines to power four steerable water jets to speeds in excess of 40 knots. It is designed to handle a variety of missions, including mine countermeasures, surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare.
The Coronado (LCS 4) is the fourth littoral combat ship and the second of the Independence variant. It is the third Navy ship to bear the name.
The first USS Coronado (PF 38) was a patrol frigate and served as a convoy escort during World War II. The subsequent Coronado (AGF 11) was designed as an Austin Class Amphibious Transport Dock (LPD) and was later reconfigured to be a command ship.
— From a Navy press release
