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LPD 27 Portland

LPD-27 is the 11th San Antonio-class ship, and was was launched Feb. 13, 2016.

As medals adorning their chests clang with each running step, Sailors rush past the brow to man their vessel. During an official commissioning ceremony held in front of over 5,000 guests, the crew of the USS Portland (LPD 27) brought their ship to life in Portland, Oregon, 21 April 2018.

The Honorable Patrick Shanahan, Deputy Secretary of Defense, officially placed the Portland in commission, the 11th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship to join the Navy’s operational fleet. “The City of Roses has a ship worthy of its creative spirit and industrious heritage,” proclaimed Shanahan. “The acceptance trials are over and her officers and crew are ready. Wherever her flag flies, in foreign ports, on the high seas, in weather fair or foul, this ship will carry the spirit of this city on the Columbia River.”

While addressing the audience, Shanahan emphasized the importance behind the naming of the Portland, while touching upon the history of the first two ships to carry the name ‘Portland’. “This is the first ship to be named exclusively for Portland, Oregon,” said Shanahan. “Her officers and crew will write the next chapter, and do so with pride. This ship will carry our power and goodwill anywhere they are needed.”

Since departing Pascagoula, Miss. the ship and her crew had sailed 9,930 nautical miles, conducted a crossing the line ceremony, and sailed through the historic Panama Canal on their way to their designated homeport of San Diego.

In a time-honored Navy tradition, ship sponsor Bonnie Amos, wife of Gen. James F. Amos (ret.), 35th commandant of the Marine Corps, christened the ship during a ceremony 21 May 2016 at the Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

LPD-27 will be the third Navy ship named Portland, honoring both the Oregon seaport and Maine’s largest city. Other sources report that Portland is named solely for the largest city in the state of Oregon. The state has a long history with the Navy, going back to the construction of hundreds of World War II Liberty and Victory ships at three Portland-area shipyards.

The first was heavy cruiser USS Portland (CA 33), which was commissioned on Feb. 23, 1933. Serving throughout World War II, CA-33 saw action at a number of important battles, including Guadalcanal, Leyte Gulf, Corregidor and Okinawa. The second, dock landing ship USS Portland (LSD 37), was commissioned Oct. 3, 1970. Over the course of nearly 33 years of service, LSD-37 participated in a number of important operations, including the 1976 evacuation of American citizens from Lebanon, the 1983 multi-national peacekeeping mission to Beirut, Lebanon, and deployment of Marines to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“Portland is the 11th ship in the San Antonio class, and she is the best LPD to date,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said. “Working closely with our Navy partner, we continue to improve on each ship we build. We’re investing, along with the great state of Mississippi and the Navy, in modernizing our facilities. Combine that with a hot production line and our talented and experienced shipbuilders, and we are uniquely positioned to provide our country with the highest-quality, most capable ships in our Navy’s fleet.”

San Antonio-class ships are designed to support embarking, transporting and landing elements of more than 800 Marines with both a flight deck, which accommodates CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters and MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, and a well deck that can launch and recover landing craft and amphibious vehicles. San Antonio-class ships are versatile players in maritime security with the ability to support a variety of amphibious assault, special operations or expeditionary warfare missions, operating independently or as part of Amphibious Readiness Groups, Expeditionary Strike Groups or Joint Task Forces. In addition to performing their primary mission, San Antonio-class ships have supported anti-piracy operations, provided humanitarian assistance and foreign disaster relief operations around the world.