![Photo: Austal USA](http://media.assettype.com/bairdmaritime%2Fimport%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F211019-1-MSW-USN.jpg?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
The US Navy christened its newest Independence-class littoral combat ship (LCS) in a ceremony on Saturday, October 16.
The future USS Santa Barbara is the third US Navy ship to honour the famed coastal city of Santa Barbara in central California.
The future Santa Barbara will be the 32nd overall LCS to be built for the US Navy. It is also the 16th LCS in the Independence-class, all examples of which are being built by Austal USA at its facilities in Mobile, Alabama.