LCS 24 christening at Austal USA

WASHINGTON - The Navy will christen its newest Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the future USS Oakland (LCS 24), during a 9 a.m. CDT ceremony June 29 from the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala. U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert of California will deliver the christening principal address. Kate Brandt, Google’s sustainability officer, will serve as the ship’s sponsor and christen the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. "The christening of the future USS Oakland marks an important step toward this great ship's entry into the fleet," said Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer. "The dedication and skilled work of our industry partners ensure this ship will represent the great city of Oakland and serve our Navy and Marine Corps team for decades to come." The LCS class consists of two variants, Freedom and Independence, designed and built by two industry teams. The Independence variant team is led by Austal USA for LCS 6 and subsequent even-numbered hulls. The Freedom team is led by Lockheed Martin at Marinette (Wis.) Marine. The future USS Oakland (LCS 24) is the third Navy ship named for the California city. (Source: Navy Chief of Information 06/27/19)