USS Fort Worth commissioned in Galveston

GALVESTON, Texas – The Fort Worth combat ship was commissioned during a ceremony at the Port of Galveston on Saturday.

According to a statement from Navy officials, the ship's name honors the city of Fort Worth, Texas, "which has supported the U.S. military as home to ranger outposts, training facilities, aviation depots and defense manufacturing for more than 140 years."

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Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, the ship's sponsor, gave the command to "man our ship and bring her to life" during the ceremony.

Fort Worth is designed to operate quickly in shallow water littoral environments to counter challenging threats in coastal regions, specifically mines, submarines and fast surface craft.

The Fort Worth will maintain a forward presence and deter hostility while projecting power and maintaining sea control, the Navy said. Its modular design will support interchangeable mission packages, allowing the ship to be reconfigured for antisubmarine warfare, mine warfare, or surface warfare missions on an as-needed basis.