The U.S. Navy commissioned Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Kansas City (LCS-22) June 20.

The U.S. Navy commissioned USS Kansas City (LCS-22) administratively via naval message, due to public health safety and restrictions of large public gatherings related to the coronavirus pandemic and transitioned the ship to normal operations. The U.S. Navy is looking at a future opportunity to commemorate the special event with the ship’s sponsor, crew, and commissioning committee.

«This Independence-variant littoral combat ship will continue our proud naval legacy and embody the spirit of the people of Kansas City», said Secretary of the U.S. Navy Kenneth J. Braithwaite. «I am confident the crew of the USS Kansas City (LCS-22) will extend the reach and capability of our force and confront the challenges of today’s complex world with our core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment».

Vice Admiral Richard A. Brown, Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, welcomed the ship that brings capabilities to counter diesel submarine, mines, and fast surface craft threats to the premier Surface Force in the world.

«Like other littoral combat ships, Kansas City brings speed and agility to the fleet», said Brown via naval message. «Congratulations to Kansas City’s Captain and crew for all of your hard work to reach this milestone. You join a proud Surface Force that controls the seas and provides the Nation with combat naval power when and where needed».

Tracy Davidson, the ship’s sponsor, offered congratulations to everyone who played a role in delivering USS Kansas City (LCS-22) to service.

«I am so proud of USS Kansas City (LCS-22) and her crew, and everyone involved, for all the tremendous work they’ve done to bring this ship to life. Their dedication to our nation and the Navy is very much appreciated», Davidson said. «I am privileged to be a part of this ship honoring Kansas City and look forward to remaining connected to USS Kansas City (LCS-22) as her legacy grows, wherever she may sail».

Kansas City’s commanding officer, Commander R.J. Zamberlan, reported the ship ready.

«The caliber of crew required to prepare a warship entering the fleet is second to none», Zamberlan said. «This is even more impressive aboard an LCS, where every member of the minimally manned team is required to fulfill multiple roles and excel at all of them to get the job done. This crew has exceeded expectations in unprecedented times and I could not be prouder to be their captain».

USS Kansas City (LCS-22) is the 11th of the Independence-variant to join the fleet and second ship to be named for Kansas City. The name Kansas City was assigned to a heavy cruiser during World War II. However, construction was canceled after one month due to the end of the war.

The name Kansas City was also assigned to the Wichita-class replenishment oiler AOR-3 in 1967. This ship saw service in the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm and was decommissioned in 1994.

The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a fast, agile and networked surface combatant, and the primary mission for the LCS includes countering diesel submarine threats, littoral mine threats and surface threats to assure maritime access for joint forces. The underlying strength of the LCS lies in its innovative design approach, applying modularity for operational flexibility.

Fundamental to this approach is the capability to rapidly install interchangeable Mission Packages (MPs) onto the seaframe to fulfill a specific mission and then be uninstalled, maintained and upgraded at the Mission Package Support Facility (MPSF) for future use aboard any LCS seaframe.

The Independence Variant of the LCS

Independence-class

The future USS Kansas City (LCS-22) successfully concluded acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico after a series of in-port and underway demonstrations, the U.S. Navy announced October 31.

«This level of performance is among the best I’ve seen for this class. We continue to see improvements in cost, initial quality and schedule, ship after ship», said Captain Mike Taylor, Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program manager.

Acceptance trials are the last significant milestone before the ship’s planned delivery to the Navy in early December. During trials, the Navy conducted comprehensive tests of LCS 22’s systems, which spanned multiple functional areas essential to a ship being able to perform at sea – main propulsion, auxiliaries and electrical systems. The ship also performed demonstrations of its capability, including a full-power demonstration, steering and quick reversal, anchor drop test and combat system detect-to-engage sequence.

Following delivery and commissioning, Kansas City will be homeported in San Diego with sister ships USS Independence (LCS-2), USS Coronado (LCS-4), USS Jackson (LCS-6), USS Montgomery (LCS-8), USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10), USS Omaha (LCS-12), USS Manchester (LCS-14), USS Tulsa (LCS-16), USS Charleston (LCS-18) and USS Cincinnati (LCS-20).

Four additional Independence-variant ships are under construction at Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama. Final assembly is well underway on the future USS Oakland (LCS-24). All modules for the future USS Mobile (LCS-26) have been erected, and the modules for the future USS Savannah (LCS 28) are under construction. Additionally, Austal is fabricating modules for the future USS Canberra (LCS-30) and is preparing for construction of the future USS Santa Barbara (LCS-32), USS Augusta (LCS-34), USS Kingsville (LCS-36) and USS Pierre (LCS-38).

LCS is a highly maneuverable, lethal and adaptable ship designed to support focused mine countermeasures, anti-submarine and surface warfare missions. The Independence-variant LCS integrates new technology and capability to affordably support current and future mission capability, from deep water to the littorals.

LCS is now the second-largest surface ship class in production. Five LCSs delivered in 2018. The U.S. Navy plans to deliver another three ships in 2019.

The Independence Variant of the LCS Class

Independence-class

The U.S. Navy christened its newest Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the future USS Kansas City (LCS-22), during a 10 a.m. (CDT) ceremony Saturday, September 22, in Mobile, Alabama.

At the ceremony, the principal speaker will be U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver II from Missouri. Mrs. Tracy Davidson, wife of commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Philip Davidson, served as the ship’s sponsor. In a time-honored Navy tradition, she christened the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.

«The future USS Kansas City (LCS-22) is a symbol of the strong connection between the people of Missouri and the Navy and Marine Corps team», said Secretary of the U.S. Navy Richard V. Spencer. «The ship is a testament to our commitment to provide maritime dominance and power projection required by the nation, and to our partnership with industry to build the Navy the nation needs».

The future USS Kansas City (LCS-22) is the second U.S. Navy ship to honor Missouri’s largest city. Originally intended to be the first Kansas City, the keel was laid for what was planned to be an Oregon City-class heavy cruiser on July 9, 1945 in the waning days of World War II. With the war’s end in sight, construction was halted about a month later. The first commissioned U.S. Navy vessel named Kansas City was a Wichita-class replenishment ship commissioned June 6, 1970. The ship earned a number of unit awards throughout its life including for service in Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm. Kansas City was decommissioned on October 7, 1994.

LCS is a modular, reconfigurable ship, designed to meet validated fleet requirements for surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and mine countermeasures missions in littoral regions. An interchangeable mission package that provides primary mission systems in one of these warfare areas is embarked on each LCS and provides the primary mission systems in one of these warfare areas. Using an open architecture design, modular weapons, sensor systems and a variety of manned and unmanned vehicles to gain, sustain and exploit littoral maritime supremacy, LCS provides U.S. joint force access to critical areas in multiple theaters.

The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom variant and the Independence variant, designed and built by two industry teams. The Freedom variant team is led by Lockheed Martin (for the odd-numbered hulls). The Independence variant team is led by Austal USA (for LCS-6 and the subsequent even-numbered hulls).

The Independence Variant of the LCS Class

Independence-class