The U.S. Navy will commission the future USS Nantucket (LCS 27), a Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, on Saturday, November 16th, at the Charlestown Navy Yard.

The naming of LCS 27 honors the rich heritage of the people of Nantucket and the maritime legacy that the island represents.

As the sponsor of LCS 27, Polly Spencer, the wife of the 76th Secretary of the Navy, will lead the time-honored Navy tradition of giving the order during the ceremony to “man our ship and bring her to life!” At that moment, the crew hoists the commissioning pennant, and Nantucket becomes a proud ship of the fleet.

Nantucket will be the 14th Freedom-variant littoral combat ship and the fourth ship to bear the name.

After commissioning, Nantucket will depart Boston for its homeport assignment of Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida.

Nantucket is a fast, optimally manned, mission-tailored surface combatant that operates in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. LCSs like Nantucket will integrate with joint, combined, manned, and unmanned teams to support forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions around the globe.

The mission of CNSP is to man, train, and equip the Surface Force to provide fleet commanders with credible naval power to control the sea and project power ashore.

The invitation-only commissioning ceremony will be streamed live online here. A watch party on Nantucket (the island) is happening at the VFW Post 8608 on New South Road.

Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin