The Navy plans to commission the latest San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, the future USS Portland (LPD-27), on Saturday at its namesake city in Portland, Ore., while shipmakers launched and christened the latest Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) in Wisconsin last week.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan is set to deliver the Portland ceremony’s principal address. LPD-27 will be the second ship named after Portland, Ore. and the third named Portland.
It is the 11th San Antonio-class ship and is designed to support the transportation, embarking, and landing elements of over 800 Marines. It features a flight deck for CH-53E Sea Stallions, CH-46/SH-60 helicopters and MV-22 Ospreys and a well-deck the launch and recover landing craft.
In January the Navy said the Portland will host a new Office of Naval Research (ONR) laser demonstrator by Fall 2018 and will serve as the flagship in the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise (Defense Daily, Jan. 10)
The laser demonstrator will fit into what was originally planned for the Vertical Lanch System (VLS) reservation on the ship. This is a next-generation follow-on to the 30-koliwatt laser Weapons System (LaWS) first tested on the USS Ponce Afloat Forward Staging Base (Interim) (AFSB(I)) for three years (Defense Daily, March 29, 2017).
“USS Portland enters service in a period of dynamic security challenges, and I am confident this ship and crew will conquer these and future challenges because of the strength and talent of the Sailors and Marines who will serve aboard this ship,” Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer said in a statement.
Separately, Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Fincantieri Marinette Marine christened and launched the future USS Indianapolis (LCS-17) Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship on April 14.
LCS-17 is expected to undergo additional testing and outfitting at the Marinette facility in Wisconsin before its expected delivery in 2019. Fincantieri Marinette Marine noted LCS-17 is one of eight ships being built at the shipyard, with one more in long-lead production.