Combat ship USS Canberra commissioned in Australia
July 22 (UPI) -- In an uncommon overseas ceremony, the USS Canberra was welcomed to the active U.S. fleet Saturday in Australia on a windy winter day as officials from both countries stressed their strong alliance.
The Canberra, an Independence-class littoral combat ship named after the Australian capital, was commissioned at an Australian naval base in Sydney Harbor.
"We, along with our allies and partners around the world, are facing significant challenges in every environment that we operate," U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said during the ceremony, noting that the world is a very different place since the first USS Canberra was commissioned some 80 years ago.
He added: "The People's Republic of China continues the rapid expansion of its navy, leveraging its maritime organizational strength to coerce and intimidate its neighbors into accepting illegitimate maritime claims."
The first Canberra, a cruiser launched in 1943 was named after the HMAS Canberra, which the Japanese torpedoed a year earlier, killing 193 sailors aboard. It had been supporting U.S. Marine landings in he Solomon Islands.
The original USS Canberra, a cruiser, was decommissioned in 1970 and sold for scrap 10 years later. When designed, it was to be called the Pittsburgh.
Australian officials noted Saturday that the country plans to develop a greater military presence in its northern region and that the U.S. military presence will increase there, as well. The goal is for a U.S.-Pacific strategy to offset Chinese influence in the region.
On Saturday, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said in a statement, "Australians can be proud that this ship, designed in Western Australia by local industry ... is being commissioned here for the first time in the history of the United States Navy."
The commissioning comes amid military exercises being held in the area that include mock land and sea combat and amphibious landings. More than a dozen nations are participating.
