The Navy accepted delivery of the future USS Kansas City (LCS 22) on February 12 during a ceremony at Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama.
Kansas City is the 21st littoral combat ship (LCS) delivered to the Navy and the 11th the Independence variant to join the fleet. Delivery marks the official transfer of the ship from the shipbuilder to the Navy. It is the final milestone prior to commissioning, which is planned for later this year.
“This is a tremendous day for the Navy and our country with the delivery of the future USS Kansas City,” said LCS program manager Capt. Mike Taylor. “I look forward to celebrating the commissioning of this great ship alongside the crew later this year. Kansas City will play an essential role in carrying out our nation’s future maritime strategy.”
Four additional Independence-variant ships are under construction at Austal USA: Oakland (LCS 24), Mobile (LCS 26), Savannah (LCS 28) and Canberra (LCS 30). Four additional ships are awaiting the start of construction.
The Navy’s first USS Kansas City was to have been a World War II heavy cruiser, but the ship was never completed. A Wichita-class replenishment oiler bore the name USS Kansas City (AOR-3) from 1967 to 1994 and took part in the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm.
The LCS is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments, while capable of open-ocean tasking and winning against 21st-century coastal threats such as submarines, mines, and swarming small craft. The LCS is capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence.
The future USS Kansas City is the second LCS delivered to the Navy in 2020. The future USS St. Louis (LCS 19) was delivered February 6. Three more—Minneapolis-St. Paul (LCS 21), Oakland (LCS 24) and Mobile (LCS 26) — are planned for delivery later this year.
