The USS Manchester, a U.S. Navy combat ship, will be commissioned Saturday in Portsmouth.
The commissioning ceremony for the USS Manchester Littoral Combat Ship on May 26 will be at the New Hampshire State Pier, aka the state Port Authority.
The ship, which was built in Alabama and will call San Diego its home port, was christened and launched in 2016. The commissioning ceremony will mark its official acceptance as a unit of the operating forces of the U.S. Navy.
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, is the official sponsor of the vessel. She is scheduled to join the crew for the ship's arrival Monday at the state pier, ahead of Saturday's ceremony.
The last vessel commissioned in Portsmouth was the USS New Hampshire submarine in 2008.
The "Littoral Combat Ship" is designed for multiple defense capabilities, including surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and mine countermeasure missions. It is a Trimaran vessel that can go 40 knots. Watch a video of its maneuverability and fire power, via Austal:
