A new shallow-draft Navy ship that is faster than its predecessors will arrive at her homeport of San Diego on Thursday, the Navy announced this week.
The 378-foot USS Fort Worth, named for the nation's 16th largest city in Texas, is the Navy's third littoral combat ship. It was commission in a ceremony in Galveston, Texas, on Sept. 22. (Mike Rote/Wikimedia)
The 378-foot USS Fort Worth, named for the nation’s 16th largest city in Texas, is the Navy’s third littoral combat ship. It was commission in a ceremony in Galveston, Texas, on Sept. 22.
As a littoral combat ship, the Fort Worth can travel in less than 20 feet of water and reach speeds of up to 40 knots in 90 seconds, according to the Navy, which is expected to use the more agile, maneuverable vessel to better fight piracy, drug trafficking and terrorism at sea.
“The world is changing, the enemy is changing,” Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, the ship’s sponsor, told reporters during the commissioning ceremony.
The Fort Worth and is designed to be manned by up to 75 crew members.
Its armament includes a MK 110 57 mm gun, rolling airframe missiles and a torpedo system.
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