Apparently Obama needs every trick up his sleeve to win Arizona.

Naming a surface warship, even an underarmed glorified jet-ski that can't survive moderate battle damage after a living person, is pure political pandering. What other three term Congressperson has a warship named after them?

At least LCS-10 will be easy to spot in port. Its the LCS with the large painted over patch on the left side of the superstructure.

Watch the video. Are the announcement they have the picture of the vessel upside down.


Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced today that the next Independence variant littoral combat ship (LCS) will be named the USS Gabrielle Giffords.

The selection of Gabrielle Giffords, designated LCS-10, honors the former Congresswoman from Tucson, Ariz., and who is known for supporting the military and veterans.

Mabus also announced the ship's sponsor will be Roxanna Green. Green is the mother of Christina-Taylor Green, the nine-year-old girl who was killed while attending the meeting of constituents where Giffords was shot.

A ship's sponsor plays an important role in the life of the ship, naval tradition holds that her spirit and presence guide the ship throughout its service life.

"I am pleased to honor Gabrielle Giffords and the people of Arizona with the naming of this ship," said Mabus. "Giffords and the ship's sponsor, Roxanna Green, are sources of great inspiration and represent the Navy and Marine Corps qualities of overcoming, adapting and coming out victoriously despite great challenges."

The ship is part of a dual-block buy of LCS class ships announced by Mabus in December 2010.

By procuring both versions of the LCS -- Lockheed Martin's semiplaning monohull and General Dynamic's aluminum trimaran -- the Navy is stabilizing the LCS program and the industrial base with an award of 20 ships each; increasing ship procurement rates to support operational requirements; sustaining competition through the program; and enhancing foreign military sales opportunities. Both designs meet the Navy's LCS requirement, while the diversity provided by two designs provides operational flexibility.

Littoral combat ships perform a vital role in the Navy's ability to execute DoD's defense strategy.

USS Gabrielle Giffords will be designed to defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance in the coastal waters.

http://www2.wkrg.com/news/2012/feb/10/au...r-3208984/

Yeah, pretty much the ultimate in pandering here. I have no doubt Gabby if she's able, and/or her husband will campaign heavy for Obama.

Dems have no shame. They called on people to vote Dem just because Wellstone died in a plain crash. Now they'll say to people in Arizona vote Obama cause Gabby got shot because of Sarah Palin.

There really is nothing they won't exploit.

What's the history of vessels of this class being named after people?

History of vessels named after living people?

(02-11-2012 10:59 AM)RaiderATO Wrote:  What's the history of vessels of this class being named after people?

History of vessels named after living people?

USS Independence (LCS-1)
USS Freedom (LCS-2)
USS Fort Worth (LCS-3)
USS Coronado (LCS-4)
USS Milwaukee (LCS-5)
USS Jackson (LCS-6)
USS Detroit (LCS-7)
USS Montgomery (LCS-8)
USS Little Rock (LCS-9)
USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10)

I bet the program gets axed after LCS-8 because of the design flaws already seen on the Freedom and Independence.

ts a "plug and play" ship. You switch out different "modules" for the ship to do different things.

Its base armament is a 57mm gun and a Rolling Airframe Missile launcher. That's it. Offensively, it has less firepower than a Coast Guard Cutter.

The mission modules don't work. In fact the missiles used for "Anti-Surface Warfare" have a range of less than 4 miles. That's well within the Kill Sack of any Russian/Chinese Patrol Boat designs.

The Antisubmarine Warfare module and the Mine Sweeping/Hunting module don't work, even after 9 years of development.

Scrap this POS and do a Service Life Extension on the Perry class FFG-7's that we have left.

(02-11-2012 11:43 AM)WMD Owl Wrote:  

(02-11-2012 10:59 AM)RaiderATO Wrote:  What's the history of vessels of this class being named after people?
History of vessels named after living people?

USS Independence (LCS-1)
USS Freedom (LCS-2)
USS Fort Worth (LCS-3)
USS Coronado (LCS-4)
USS Milwaukee (LCS-5)
USS Jackson (LCS-6)
USS Detroit (LCS-7)
USS Montgomery (LCS-8)
USS Little Rock (LCS-9)
USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10)
I bet the program gets axed after LCS-8 because of the design flaws already seen on the Freedom and Independence.
It's a "plug and play" ship. You switch out different "modules" for the ship to do different things.
Its base armament is a 57mm gun and a Rolling Airframe Missile launcher. That's it. Offensively, it has less firepower than a Coast Guard Cutter.
The mission modules don't work. In fact the missiles used for "Anti-Surface Warfare" have a range of less than 4 miles. That's well within the Kill Sack of any Russian/Chinese Patrol Boat designs.
The Antisubmarine Warfare module and the Mine Sweeping/Hunting module don't work, even after 9 years of development.
Scrap this POS and do a Service Life Extension on the Perry class FFG-7's that we have left.

Yep. If you want to cut military wasteful spending, this is EXACTLY the kind of stuff that needs to go away.

If getting shot in the head is all it takes to have a ship named after you, where's the USS Guy Dick Cheney Shot In The Face?

(02-11-2012 12:39 PM)BlazerFan11 Wrote:  If getting shot in the head is all it takes to have a ship named after you, where's the USS Guy Dick Cheney Shot In The Face?

Only counts if you're a democrat. If you're a republican it's just assumed you deserved it.

(02-11-2012 12:49 PM)Ninerfan1 Wrote:  

(02-11-2012 12:39 PM)BlazerFan11 Wrote:  If getting shot in the head is all it takes to have a ship named after you, where's the USS Guy Dick Cheney Shot In The Face?

Only counts if you're a democrat. If you're a republican it's just assumed you deserved it.

Yes, Yes, Yes! If I was a republican I would add this to Obama’s college vides, birther issues, Rev Wright, birth control and the other issues that everyone cares about.

I was raised in tidewater VA. Have passed by, and been on navy bases many a time. You rarely notice the ships name unless it is in the news because it is coming or going.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S..._Americans

Wow, this is pathetic politics at is best. Having a naval vessel named after you is one of the rarest honors in the US. Somehow this administration think that Giffords rates this honor and should be considered amongst the company of individuals like Jason Dunham, Donald Cook, and the Sullivan brothers.

Wow...Giffords is lucky she isn't a vegetable. Now she has a JetSki named after her? I can see maybe a small monument at the site. I mean that's all the Wolverines got right?

If you don't get the reference then you hate America.

(02-11-2012 11:43 AM)WMD Owl Wrote:  

(02-11-2012 10:59 AM)RaiderATO Wrote:  What's the history of vessels of this class being named after people?

History of vessels named after living people?

USS Independence (LCS-1)
USS Freedom (LCS-2)

That's a shame to name two littoral ships after the two shuttles that saved us from being destroyed by a giant asteroid. At the very least, they should have had missile frigates named after'em.

Waships should be named after battle sites, cities, rivers, Presidents, or war heroes. We have plenty of all five above.

Though I recently read that ammunition ships are traditionally named after volcanoes, and submarines after sea creatures. I am OK with this as well.

(02-11-2012 12:39 PM)BlazerFan11 Wrote:  If getting shot in the head is all it takes to have a ship named after you, where's the USS Guy Dick Cheney Shot In The Face?

I LOL'd!

(02-13-2012 03:13 PM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  Waships should be named after battle sites, cities, rivers, Presidents, or war heroes. We have plenty of all five above.

Though I recently read that ammunition ships are traditionally named after volcanoes, and submarines after sea creatures. I am OK with this as well.

I loved that battleships were named after states. I'm a big fan of different classes of ships having same name category (carriers after presidents, battleships (RIP) after states, ballistic missile subs after Cities.

On the upside, it will defer the naming of the USS Che Guevarra.