The USS Canberra, a new Independence-class littoral combat ship, commissioned on July 22, 2023.
Commissioned in Sydney, Australia, it’s the first US Navy warship commissioned in a foreign port. Named after the Royal Australian Navy cruiser HMAS Canberra, sunk during the Battle of Savo Island in 1942.
The original USS Canberra, a heavy cruiser, launched in 1943, named after the Australian capital city. It was the flagship of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet and served extensively in the Pacific during World War II. Participated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
After the war, the USS Canberra was decommissioned in 1970. Currently on display at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum. The new USS Canberra, much smaller at 127 meters long, crew of 50.
Designed for littoral warfare in shallow coastal waters, armed with missiles, torpedoes, and guns. The commissioning of the USS Canberra highlights close military ties between the US and Australia. Both countries collaborate to counter the growing threat from China in the Pacific.
