A speedy warship bearing the name of Maine’s capital city will likely be commissioned into service in the state.
The future USS Augusta already has been christened at the Austal USA shipyard on the Alabama coast, and the ship could be ready to formally enter service this fall. Navy officials examined possible commissioning ceremony sites in Portland late last week, then traveled to Augusta to meet with local officials and tour the city, the Kennebec Journal reported.
The ship’s skipper, Cmdr. Christopher Polnaszek, had an itinerary that included the Maine State House, Cony High School and Fort Western.
The Augusta is a littoral combat ship of the Independence class featuring a trimaran hull to keep it stable at high speeds. Those ships are designed to operate close to shore, and they can top 50 mph.
There have been several warships bearing the Augusta name. The last warship named for Augusta was a Los Angeles Class nuclear-powered Navy submarine that was decommissioned in 2009.
