CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Charleston Mayor Joe Riley are hosting a ship naming ceremony for the newest USS Charleston warship.
The event is scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m. at the Charleston Maritime Center.
The vessel is called a “littoral combat ship” and is the sixth ship to bear the city’s name. The 400-foot long ship is to be built in Mobile, Alabama. The keel is to be set in December and delivered in 2017 at a cost of $440 million.
Littoral ships are designed to operate close to shore. Their duties include mine detection and removal as well as anti-submarine defenses.
They are also built to defend against fast-moving, potentially hostile surface ships.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.