US Navy receives 12th littoral combat ship, the Manchester

WASHINGTON ― The U.S. Navy has received the future littoral combat ship Manchester in Mobile, Alabama.

Wednesday’s transfer of the vessel from the Austal USA to the Navy marks the final milestone before the ship is commissioned in May in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

According to a Navy news release, the Manchester is the 12th littoral combat ship to be delivered to the Navy and the seventh of the Independence make. Independence variants are distinct from other LCS due to their “unique trimaran hull, ability to operate at high speeds and its large flight deck size,” according to the service.

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“The future USS Manchester is joining the fleet at a thrilling time in LCS history; LCSs are operationally proven and continue to be in high demand by combatant commanders around the globe,” said Capt. Jordy Harrison, commander of LCS Squadron One.

The ships motto is “labor vincit,” or work conquers. “The delivery gives the work of the ship over to her sailors, and we are ready to conquer,” said Cmdr Emily Bassett, Manchester’s leading office.

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