USS Mobile (LCS-26)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Mobile.

USS Mobile (LCS-26) is an Independence-class littoral combat ship of the United States Navy.^[1][7] Named for the city of Mobile, Alabama, she is the fifth ship to carry the name.^[8][9]

USS Mobile on 9 January 2020
History
United States
Name	Mobile
Namesake	Mobile
Awarded	31 March 2016[1]
Builder	Austal USA[1][2]
Laid down	14 December 2018[3]
Launched	11 January 2020
Sponsored by	Rebecca Byrne
Christened	7 December 2019[4]
Acquired	9 December 2020[5]
Commissioned	22 May 2021[6]
Homeport	San Diego
Identification	Hull number: LCS-26
Motto	Victory through Perseverance
Status	Active
Badge
General characteristics
Class & type	Independence-class littoral combat ship
Displacement	2,307 metric tons light, 3,104 metric tons full, 797 metric tons deadweight
Length	127.4 m (418 ft)
Beam	31.6 m (104 ft)
Draft	14 ft (4.27 m)
Propulsion	2× gas turbines, 2× diesel, 4× waterjets, retractable Azimuth thruster, 4× diesel generators
Speed	40 knots (74 km/h; 46 mph)+, 47 knots (54 mph; 87 km/h) sprint
Range	4,300 nautical miles (8,000 km; 4,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)+
Capacity	210 tonnes
Complement	40 core crew (8 officers, 32 enlisted) plus up to 35 mission crew
Sensors & processing systems	Sea Giraffe 3D Surface/Air RADAR Bridgemaster-E Navigational RADAR AN/KAX-2 EO/IR sensor for GFC
Electronic warfare & decoys	EDO ES-3601 ESM 4× SRBOC rapid bloom chaff launchers
Armament	BAE Systems Mk 110 57 mm gun 4× .50 cal (12.7 mm) guns (2 aft, 2 forward) Evolved SeaRAM 11 cell missile launcher Mission modules
Aircraft carried	2× MH-60R/S Seahawks

Design

In 2002, the United States Navy initiated a program to develop the first of a fleet of littoral combat ships.^[10] The Navy initially ordered two trimaran hulled ships from General Dynamics, which became known as the Independence-class littoral combat ship after the first ship of the class, USS Independence.^[10] Even-numbered US Navy littoral combat ships are built using the Independence-class trimaran design, while odd-numbered ships are based on a competing design, the conventional monohull Freedom-class littoral combat ship.^[10] The initial order of littoral combat ships involved a total of four ships, including two of the Independence-class design.^[10] On 29 December 2010, the Navy announced that it was awarding Austal USA a contract to build ten additional Independence-class littoral combat ships.^[11][12]

Construction and career

Mobile was built in her namesake city by Austal USA.^[13][14] The Navy accepted delivery of Mobile on 9 December 2020, during a ceremony held at the Austal USA shipyards. Mobile was commissioned on 22 May 2021.^[6][15]

On 7 April 2024, Mobile conducted a joint patrol in the South China Sea with BRP Antonio Luna and BRP Valentin Diaz of the Philippine Navy, HMAS Warramunga of the Royal Australian Navy, and JS Akebono of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. This marked the first multinational patrol between the nations.^[16]