SYDNEY—The United States commissioned a warship in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday—the first time a U.S. Navy vessel joined active service at a foreign port—as the two close allies step up their military ties in response to China’s expanding regional reach.
The Independence-class littoral combat ship—named after a Royal Australian Navy cruiser that was sunk while supporting the U.S. Marine landings on Guadalcanal in 1942—was commissioned at a ceremony at an Australian naval base on Sydney Harbour, officially joining the U.S. Navy’s active fleet.
“Australians can be proud that this ship, designed in Western Australia by local industry and named after HMAS Canberra, is being commissioned here for the first time in the history of the United States Navy,” Australian Defence Minister Marles said in a statement….