Lankford Provides Keynote Address at USS Tulsa Commissioning in San Francisco

WASHINGTON, DC—Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today provided the keynote address at the commissioning of the new Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the USS Tulsa. Lankford attended the commissioning at Embarcadero Pier 30/32 in San Francisco, CA.

“It is a great honor to join so many Oklahomans to officially welcome the USS Tulsa into the Navy’s LCS fleet,” said Lankford. “The USS Tulsa truly represents the future of naval vessels. It is a high honor and a testament to the innovative spirit of the people of Tulsa that the Navy would select this world-class vessel to bear the name of Tulsa as she sails to defend our nation. Tulsa is a city with a historic past and a hopeful future in Oklahoma, our region, and in the nation. And the good people of Tulsa have maintained our heartland values of hard work, integrity, and honesty as they forge forward in business, education, and anti-poverty measures to help Tulsans prosper.

“The Navy’s honor of naming a ship after one of our beloved cities is a recognition we will not soon forget. To our Sailors who will crew the USS Tulsa: Godspeed and thank you. To the many people responsible for making this day happen, including former Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor: Thank you for helping see this extensive process through.” 

The USS Tulsa (LCS 16) is the fifteenth LCS to enter the fleet, with a planned 35 total, and the eighth of the Independence variant. She is the second constructed warship to be named in honor of the city and citizens of Tulsa. The first was a gunboat that sailed for two decades during World War II until she was decommissioned in 1946. In September 2015, it was formally announced that the LCS 16 would have the Tulsa namesake, and in February 2017 she was officially christened.

The USS Tulsa will join the rest of the LCS fleet in fulfilling a crucial role in the six core areas of the Navy’s Maritime Defense Strategy, which include: forward presence; deterrence; sea control; power projection; maritime security; and humanitarian assistance/disaster response. The LCS is unlike any other ship of its kind and was envisioned to be the future of our naval fleet: it is a fast, agile, mission-focused-platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to counter 21st century coastal threats and support focused mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare, and surface warfare missions. The LCS integrates new technology and capability to affordably support current and future mission capability from deep water to the littorals. It was designed to defeat threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines, and fast surface craft when outfitted with its mission package.

The USS Tulsa will be commanded by Commander Drew Borovies, whose impressive Naval career includes multiple deployments to the Arabian Gulf and the Pacific to defend our nation and our freedoms. 

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