Cochran’s daughter christens Jackson

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus was in Mobile, Ala., last weekend to deliver the keynote speech for christening of the future Littoral Combat Ship USS Jackson (LCS 6) – named for the capital city of Mississippi - at the Austal USA shipyard. Jackson is the third Independence-class LCS variant by Austal. The daughter of U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Dr. Katherine Holmes Cochran, is the ship’s sponsor and becomes an honorary member of the ship’s first crew. Mabus, a former Mississippi governor, called the LCS a “modern marvel” but did not address the ship’s long-term future. The original plan was to build 52 LCS – between Austal and a separate variant in Wisconsin – but recent budget submissions from the Defense Department reduced those numbers to 32; and a review has been implemented to either re-design the overall program or change it to more closely resemble frigates. Source: U.S. Navy, 03/22/14.