Part of the fleet
Navy accepts delivery of USNS Yuma
A new ship will soon make Yuma known around the world. On April 21, the Navy accepted delivery of the USNS Yuma, the city’s namesake ship.
Shipmaker Austal USA met with Navy officials to finalize the documentation required to make the delivery official. Documents were signed during a small event held on board the ship in Mobile, Ala.
“Seeing the city of Yuma flag in the background of the acceptance signing and flying from the ship’s mast
is pretty cool and something we can all be proud of,” City Administrator Greg Wilkinson said.
“We have been following the acceptance tests leading up to Capt. Gommo signing for the ship. One of those tests leading up to acceptance was a speed run where the Yuma hit 44.7 knots. We think this is a new record speed for this class of ships,” Wilkinson added.
In June 2013, U.S. Sen. John McCain, a Navy veteran, announced the Navy’s intention to name its latest joint high-speed vessel after the city.
“This is a worthy recognition of the people of Yuma and all they do to support the men and women of our military,” McCain said.
In April 2014, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus officially named the ship during a ceremony at Gateway Park. He said some might wonder why a ship would be named for a desert city in the landlocked state of Arizona. He noted a tradition of naming ships for cities and regions with a heritage of supporting the military and pointed out Yuma’s long history with the U.S. military, including Fort Yuma in the past and today’s Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and Yuma Proving Ground.
The USNS Yuma was christened in August with a ceremony held beneath the ship’s hull at Austal’s shipyard in Mobile, Ala.
The ship’s sponsor, Janet Napolitano, former Arizona governor and former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, led the ceremony, which included remarks by Mayor Douglas Nicholls, a blessing from Yuma’s Monsignor Richard O’Keefe and the presentation of colors by the United Yuma Firefighters Honor Guard. In the tradition of the Navy, Napolitano broke a bottle of wine across the ship’s bow.
In December, the community had a chance to meet the ship’s future captain, David Gommo, during a visit to the city.
“We want the ship to represent its namesake, the city Yuma, as best as possible,” Gommo said. “That is one of the reasons we are here. We want to develop that connection and we are going to name berthing spaces after important things here in the city. We are working very closely with the mayor and the city manager to have the ship represent the city of Yuma, the county of Yuma and the citizens of Yuma.”
The USNS Yuma will be the fourth ship to bear the Yuma name. As well, this delivery marks the eighth vessel delivered to the Navy as part of a contract for 12 ships worth over $1.9 billion. It was constructed by Austal USA and will be owned and operated by the Military Sealift Command.
“It’s so exciting to see Yuma join the fleet, an incredible ship built by incredible people,” Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle said.
The 338-foot long Yuma is an aluminum catamaran capable of transporting 600 tons, 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots, and is designed to operate in austere ports and waterways, providing added flexibility to U.S. warfighters worldwide. Its flight deck can also support flight operations for a wide variety of aircraft, including a CH-53 Super Stallion.