US Navy ship named USS Charleston heads toward active duty

[Boats]

US Navy ship named USS Charleston heads toward active duty
By ASSOCIATED PRESS - Published: August 7, 2018
RE: https://www.stripes.com/news/us/us-n...-duty-1.541375

The USS Charleston Photo link: https://www.stripes.com/polopoly_fs/..._900/image.jpg

CHARLESTON, S.C. — The U.S. Navy says that a littoral combat ship named Charleston has completed its last major in-water systems check and is headed toward active duty.

The Post and Courier reported Monday that the USS Charleston will report for active duty in San Diego in the next few months. It's the sixth vessel in the U.S. fleet to be named after the city. It'll be part of a fleet of eight sister combat ships.

The USS Charleston was built in Mobile, Ala., by Austal USA under a 12-vessel contract valued at $3.5 billion.

Littorals are about 400 feet long with a top speed of 46 mph and cost around $440 million. The littoral program includes several other ships named after U.S. cities including Savannah and Cincinnati.