88R32903 CJM-D
By: LaMantia S.R. No. 683
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The United States Navy christened its newest
Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship, the future USS
Kingsville (LCS 36), in Mobile, Alabama, on April 22, 2023; and
WHEREAS, The ship was named in honor of both the city of
Kingsville and Naval Air Station Kingsville, highlighting the
cooperative efforts of the two communities in behalf of the nation;
its sponsor, Katherine Kline, performed the traditional breaking of
a bottle of sparkling wine on the deck of the Kingsville at the
Austal USA shipyard; she represents the sixth generation of the
King Ranch family, descended from steamboat Captain Richard King,
who founded the ranch in Kingsville in 1853; nearly nine decades
later, the Naval Air Station Kingsville was established, and it has
enjoyed a special relationship with the ranch ever since;
Ms. Kline's father, Dr. Richard Sugden, was a Navy flight surgeon
who held the rank of lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy; and
WHEREAS, Armed with guns, missiles, and helicopters, the ship
is 418 feet long and can reach speeds of over 40 knots; the 18th
Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship, it belongs to a class of
fast, optimally manned, mission-tailored surface combatants; they
operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments to address
21st-century coastal threats, and they integrate with joint,
combined, manned, and unmanned teams to support forward presence,
maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions all over
the world; like the other littoral ships of the trimaran variant, it
will be stationed at Naval Base San Diego after its scheduled
commissioning in the summer of 2024; and
WHEREAS, The naming of this combat ship in honor of the city
of Kingsville and Naval Air Station Kingsville is a reflection of
the role these communities have played in our nation's security,
and it is a source of great pride to area residents as well as to
citizens throughout the great State of Texas; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature
hereby commemorate the christening of the future USS Kingsville
(LCS 36).