JHSVs, LCSs named

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced Thursday the next three joint high speed vessels (JHSV) will be named USNS Yuma, USNS Bismarck and USNS Burlington, and two littoral combat ships (LCS) will be named USS Billings and USS Tulsa. The JHSVs, all 338 feet long and built by Austal USA in Mobile, Ala., are named after small American cities and counties. Yuma (JHSV 8) honors the city in Arizona and will be the fourth ship to bear this name. Bismarck (JHSV 9) is the first naval vessel to be named after North Dakota's capital city, and Burlington (JHSV10) is the first to be named for the city in Vermont. The LCSs are named to recognize cities that are one of the five most-populated communities in a state. Billings (LCS 15) is named in honor of Montana's largest city and will be the first ship to bear the name. Tulsa (LCS 16) will be the second ship named for Oklahoma's second-largest city. Billings, a Freedom-variant LCS, will be 378 feet long and built in Marinette, Wis., and Tulsa, an Independence-variant LCS, will be 419 feet long and built by Austal. (Source: DoD, 06/06/13)