Distinguished guests watch the crew aboard the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Pierre in Panama City. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy)
The Navy on Saturday commissioned the last of the unique trimaran-hull littoral combat ships to be stationed at Naval Base San Diego.
The USS Pierre, the second warship to be named for the capital city of South Dakota, was commissioned in Panama City, FL, with Navy Secretary John Phelan as the principal speaker.
“What an extraordinary day to stand beside to our newest warship under the bright Florida sky,” said Phelan. “It’s an honor to be here in Panama City, and for me to place the USS Pierre, the 19th and final Independence-variant littoral combat ship into commission.”
Larissa Thune Hargens, warship’s sponsor and the daughter of South Dakota Sen. John Thune, gave the crew the order to, “man our ship and bring her to life,” after which the sailors responded, “aye, aye, ma’am” and ran aboard the ship.
Designated LCS-38, the Pierre will be the 15th ship in its class to call San Diego its home port.
It is 418 feet long and armed with a main gun, anti-aircraft missiles and machine guns, as well as two helicopters. It’s designed to operate in near-shore environments and can sprint at speeds over 50 mph.
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