Littoral combat ship USS Mobile to be commissioned in May By (0) The future USS Mobile, the Navy's 13th Independence-class littoral combat ship, will be commissioned on May 27, 2021. Photo courtesy of Austal USA April 21 (UPI) -- The future USS Mobile, the U.S. Navy's next Independence-class littoral combat ship, will be commissioned on May 27, the Navy announced on Wednesday. The ceremony, restricted because of COVID-19 concerns but scheduled to be livestreamed, will be held in Mobile, Ala., where the ship was built by Austal USA. Advertisement The vessel will be the 13th Independence variant in the Navy fleet. Littoral combat ships are fast, agile, focused-mission platforms designed for operation in near-shore environments but capable of open-ocean operation, Austral USA said.