The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest littoral combat ship, the USS Canberra (LCS 30), during a ceremony Friday in Sydney, Australia.
In local time, though, the event took place at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Royal Australian Navy Fleet Base East.
Last month, Canberra departed its homeport of Naval Base San Diego for the first U.S. Navy ceremonial commissioning in Australia, visiting American Samoa and the Pacific Island Nation of Fiji prior to its arrival in Sydney.
The Honorable Carlos del Toro, U.S. Secretary of the Navy, delivered the commissioning ceremony’s main address, with other remarks by dignitaries, including David Hurley, AD, DSC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, Richard Marles, MP, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, and Caroline Kennedy, U.S. Ambassador to Australia.
Top military representatives included Adm. Michael Gilday, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations and Vice Adm. Mark Hammond, Royal Australian Chief of Navy.
“This truly is a special occasion for our fleet and our nation to be here with you in Australia, one of our closest allies, to celebrate the commissioning of our Navy’s newest warship that is destined to serve throughout the Indo-Pacific region,” Del Toro said. “I am confident that wherever USS Canberra is sailing, and whatever challenges her crew may face, they are ready, as reinforced by this warship’s motto — ‘Can Do!'”
The ship’s sponsor is Australian Senator Marise Payne, the former Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs who attended the ship’s keel laying ceremony at Austal USA’s shipyard in Mobile, Ala. three years ago. She gave the traditional order to “Man our ship and bring her to life!”
Earlier in the week, sailors from USS Canberra engaged in sporting events, shared meals and exchanged ship tours with the crew of HMAS Canberra. The crew also participated in community relations events like a beach clean-up with the Taronga zoo and will be part of a Sunday parade.
Independence-variant LCS operate both close to shore and in open-ocean environments to support maritime security, sea control and deterrence missions around the globe.
The USS Canberra’s sister ships, USS Jackson (LCS 6), USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), USS Manchester (LCS 14) and USS Mobile (LCS 26) are all currently on deployment in the Indo-Pacific.
LCS 30 will be the 16th commissioned Independence-variant LCS. It is the second ship named in honor of the city of Canberra, and commemorates the more than 100 years between the U.S. and Australia as allies.
The first USS Canberra (CA 70) was named in remembrance of the Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra that sank during the Battle of Savo Island in World War II while fighting side-by-side with U.S. naval forces. CA 70 was the first U.S. Navy ship named for a foreign capital.
The first USS Canberra (CA 70) received seven battle stars for her service in World War II and was decommissioned in a ceremony on Feb. 2, 1970, at the San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard. One of her propellers is preserved at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, while the ship’s bell is on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum.
