Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy's 11th Independence-variant littoral combat ship, the USS Kansas City, this week finished its last major task before its delivery to the branch.
The Kansas City on Thursday completed acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico, including tests of the vessels systems and a series of demonstrations in port and underway, the Navy said.
Tests of the vessel, expected to be delivered to the Navy in December, focused on propulsion and electrical systems, as well as measures of its capability that included a full-power demonstration, steering and quick reversal, anchor drop test and combat system detect-to-engage sequences.
"This level of performance is among the best I've seen for this class," Capt. Mike Taylor, LCS program manager for the Navy, said in a press release. "We continue to see improvements in cost, initial quality, and schedule, ship after ship."
The Kansas City was christened in Mobile, Ala., in Sept. 2018 by Tracy Davidson, wife of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Adm. Philip Davidson, and launched a month later into the Mobile River.
The ship will be homeported in San Diego after it is delivered and commissioned, which is expected sometime early next year.
Four other LCS vessels -- the USS Oakland, USS Mobile, USS Savannah and USS Canberra -- are currently under construction.
