City of Kingsville

KINGSVILLE (News Release) - This Saturday marks a milestone in the future USS Kingsville’s journey to active duty. Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 36 or the future USS Kingsville will be christened at the Austal, USA facility in Mobile, Alabama, where the ship has been under construction for over a year.

The ship’s sponsor, Mrs. Kathy Kline, will have the honor of breaking the champagne bottle against the ship’s hull. This tradition began in 1891 when Queen Victoria broke a bottle against the HMS Royal Arthur. It is viewed as a sign of good luck when the bottle breaks against the ship’s hull.

The USS Kingsville is an independence class littoral combat ship that was first announced in February 2019. The ship is described as being a high speed, agile and shallow draft that is made for operations in a close to shore environment while also being able to handle open ocean conditions. The independence class ships are outfitted with advanced sonar and are capable of surface, mine, and anti-submarine warfare.

When completed, the USS Kingsville will be 418 feet long, 104 feet wide and displace over 3,400 tons when fully equipped. The crew of 70 will operate the ship that has a range of 4,300 nautical miles and a top speed of 44 knots (51 mph).

“When I was first told that the City of Kingsville was getting a battleship named after us, I was both shocked and humbled by it,” said Mayor Sam Fugate, Chairman of the USS Kingsville Commissioning Committee. “The City of Kingsville has been a great partner for the United States Navy and this honor is a testament to that.”

Mayor Fugate is Chairman of the USS Kingsville Commissioning Committee. The committee will plan and host the events surrounding the commissioning that is expected to take place in the Summer of 2024.

The Christening Ceremony can be livestreamed beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 22: https://www.facebook.com/AustalUSA.