The USS Mobile, the Navy's newest littoral combat ship, is scheduled for commissioning in a ceremony on Saturday in Mobile, Ala.

The vessel, built in Mobile by Austal USA, will be the 13th Independence variant in the Navy fleet.

The Independence variant LCS -- the other is the Freedom variant -- has a trimaran design that can be used in near-shore environments against mines, submarines and fast surface craft, but also offering ocean-going capability.

At 421 feet in length, the USS Mobile will have a crew of 32 enlisted service members and eight officers, and can add up to 35 more personnel as a mission crew.

It is armed with a Mk 110 57 mm gun, a Raytheon SeaRAM CIWS [close-in weapons system], four .50-cal. guns, two 30 mm Mk44 Bushmaster II guns, eight RGM-184A Naval Strike Missiles and 24 AGM-114L Hellfire missiles.

The ship was christened on Dec. 7, 2019, and delivered to the Navy on Dec. 9, 2020. San Diego will be its home port.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., will deliver the principal address at Saturday's ceremony, which will be reduced in scope because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Retired U.S. Air Force Col. James "Hondo" Geurts, the current Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition and Vice Adm. John Mustin, Chief of Naval Reserve, will also participate.

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