USS Canberra (LCS-30) became the first US Navy ship in history to be commissioned in Australia

The US Navy commissioned a ship in Australia for the first time in history. The ceremony took place in Sydney. The ship is called the USS Canberra. It arrived in Australia a few days ago.

Here's What We Know

The USS Canberra has the naval number LCS-30. It is an Independence class littoral combat ship. It became the second ship in the US Navy fleet to be named after Australia's capital city, after the Baltimore-class USS Canberra (CA-70), which was decommissioned in 1970.

The commissioning ceremony for USS Canberra (LCS-30) took place on 22 July 2023, more than three years after the ship was laid down. The ship was christened in Australia in early summer 2021.

USS Canberra (LCS-30) was built by the US division of Austal Limited, an Australian company. The ship's home is the US Naval Base San Diego, where it first arrived on 22 June last year.

The USS Canberra (LCS-30) is 127.4 metres long and has a total displacement of more than 3,100 tonnes. The ship can reach speeds of up to 87 kph and has a range of 8,000 kilometres at 37 km/h. It has a maximum crew strength of 75 personnel.

USS Canberra (LCS-30) is equipped with four 57 mm calibre Mk 110 automatic cannons and a launcher for RIM-116 RAM missiles. The ship can carry a pair of MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopters and MQ-8 Fire Scout drones.

Source: Australian Ministry of Defence