24 July 2023
The first US Navy ship to be commissioned in Australia is now ready to conduct operations in the Indo-Pacific bearing the name of the nation's capital.
USS Canberra (LCS 30) was commissioned at Fleet Base East, Sydney, on July 22 in a ceremony attended by senior naval personnel and government officials from Australia, the US and other nations.
In the US Navy, as in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), a commissioning ceremony marks the most significant milestone when a ship enters active service.
Chief of the Royal Australian Navy Vice Admiral Mark Hammond said it was a privilege to represent the RAN during the ceremony, “which exemplifies the depth of the relationship between our navies”.
In his address, United States Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday said USS Canberra will integrate with the Australian fleet and with the combined maritime force of allies and partners who stand united across the Indo-Pacific.
He also charged the crew of USS Canberra to defend their allies and partners, “and to honour the nation of Australia, who has embarked with us on our voyage through the seas of history to defend freedom and democracy around the world”.
In the days before the commissioning, the crews of the current HMAS Canberra and USS Canberra took part in sports activities such as basketball and soccer, and toured each other’s ships.
Sharing culture, customs, tradition and honouring the heritage of the US and Australian navies were key themes of the activities.
The commissioning ceremony was followed, on Sunday July 23, by a combined Freedom of Entry parade in the ships’ namesake city in the ACT. The granting of permission for entry is a traditional demonstration of trust and confidence between the civil populace of a city and a military force, reaching back to medieval times.
USS Canberra (LCS 30) is an Independence-class littoral combat ship, designed by Australian shipbuilder Austal Limited in Fremantle, Western Australia, and built in Mobile, Alabama, in the US.
The first USS Canberra (CA 70) was a Baltimore-class heavy cruiser and the first US Navy ship to be named after a foreign capital.
It was named by order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in honour of HMAS Canberra I, sunk during the Battle of Savo Island in August 1942.
Canberra I was hit by shellfire 24 times in less than two minutes, killing the captain and 83 of her crew while they defended US Marine operations at Guadalcanal in the Pacific.
