April 16, 2021 4:59 PM • Updated: April 18, 2021 10:21 AM
USS Oakland (LCS-24) moored pierside during the commissioning ceremony on April 17, 2021. US Navy Photo
The Navy commissioned a new Littoral Combat Ship on Saturday in Oakland, Calif.
The service commissioned USS Oakland (LCS-24), an Independence-class LCS, in a virtual ceremony broadcast from the pier.
“We now have a finished warship behind us that is ready to be placed into commission,” said acting Navy Secretary Thomas Harker speaking at the ceremony. “This ship is a marvel of engineering, which will extend our capabilities for any mission across the blue water, from shoreline to shoreline.”
Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Sean Buck, Program Executive Office Rear Adm. Casey Moton, Austal USA Vice President Larry Ryder and Mayor of Oakland Libby Schaaf also spoke at the ceremony
“Kate Brandt, Google’s sustainability officer and the ship’s sponsor, delivered the time-honored Navy order to Oakland’s crew to ‘Man our ship and bring her to life!’,” the service said in a statement.
The ship will be based out of Naval Base San Diego, according to the Pentagon.
“The USS Oakland crew is excited and ready to bring our ship to life and join the fleet,” Cmdr. Francisco Garza, the future Oakland’s commanding officer, said in the release. “We are privileged to be a part of this ship and embody the spirit of the people of Oakland. As plank owners and future crew members build a positive legacy for this ship, the city of Oakland will experience those successes with us.”
Austal USA built Oakland at the company’s Alabama shipyard. The Navy last June announced that it had taken delivery of Oakland.