USS Manchester To Be Commissioned in Portsmouth Saturday

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - After docking in Portsmouth on Monday, the crew of the USS Manchester is prepping for a week of events that will lead to its commissioning on Saturday, May 26. The USS Manchester is a 420-foot, state-of-the-art naval combat ship and the 14th of the Navy's littoral combat ships, which are designed to work close to coastlines.

The commissioning ceremony for the USS Manchester Littoral Combat Ship on May 26 will be at the New Hampshire State Pier.

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, is the official sponsor of the vessel. She is scheduled to join the crew for the ship's arrival Monday at the state pier, ahead of Saturday's ceremony.

Littoral Combat Ships are designed to face asymmetric threats in shallow areas off coastlines and primarily perform: surface warfare, antisubmarine warfare and mine countermeasures. The USS Manchester is part of the Independence class of Littoral Combat Ships.

This is the second ship in the U.S. Navy to be named after Manchester, New Hampshire. The first USS Manchester, a light cruiser that saw action during the Korean War, was commissioned in 1946 and primarily operated in the Pacific. It served three combat tours and earned nine battle stars before it was decommissioned in 1956.

Courtesy Photo / USS Manchester