US Navy Christens 10th Littoral Combat Ship USS Gabrielle Giffords at Austal USA Shipyard

In June 2015, the US Navy announced that they were set to christen their tenth littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), on Saturday June 13^th at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. This ship was named in honor of former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who resigned from Congress in 2011 to recover from wounds sustained in an assassination attempt. She was known for her support of the military and veterans.

"The christening of the future USS Gabrielle Giffords marks the beginning of what is certain to be a long life for this great ship,” US Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said, describing the event. "It is also a celebration of the skill and dedication of the men and women who have built LCS 10 and the courage of her namesake. This ship truly embodies the Navy motto of Semper Fortis - always courageous."

The Independence-class vessel was constructed as part of the LCS program and is the 16^th ship to be named after a woman and the 13th to take the name of a living person since 1850.

The goal of the US Navy’s LCS program is to fill gaps in the critical, urgent operational war-fighting requirements that currently exist in the Navy to defeat littoral threats, and provide access and dominance in coastal waters. The LCS-class consists of the Freedom and Independence variants, which are developed by two industry teams led by Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics, respectively. Austal USA, along with Bath Iron Works, is part of the team led by GD. The soon-to-be USS Gabrielle Giffords is expected to be delivered to the fleet in 2017.

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