Gulfport will play host to USS Jackson commissioning

GULFPORT -- When the USS Jackson leaves Gulfport to head to San Diego -- and then on to whatever mission it is assigned -- it will carry some Mississippi mementos.

Framed photographs of Jackson landmarks and monuments will be on board, as well as 400 books by Mississippi authors donated by the ship's sponsor, Katherine Cochran; and a drawing of the ship by Nathaniel Edwards, an Anniston Elementary School fifth-grader and son of a Gulfport city employee.

The USS Jackson will be commissioned Saturday in Gulfport.

Built in Mobile, it is the third in its class of littoral combat ships and boasts some unique features, Cmdr. Allen Adkins said.

On Thursday, Adkins provided a tour of the ship, which is moored at the Port of Gulfport.

"We're anxious, ready to go," he said. "We're ready to get out there, get under way and make it happen."

The USS Jackson was designed for operations near land. It is fast and maneuverable even in shallow water, Adkins said, and is built for mine, anti-submarine and surface warfare.

It can exceed speeds of 40 knots -- that's fast enough to pull water-skiers -- and it can move directly sideways at 5 knots and rotate 360 degrees in less than 90 seconds.

It will carry a crew of 50 but can hold 35 additional mission crew members.

It can also accommodate a variety of weapons depending on its mission, and is the first class of ship able to operate unmanned air, surface and subsurface vehicles.

Compared to many Navy ships, the USS Jackson is small. But it offers some features its crew can enjoy, Adkins said, from berthing just two to four people in a stateroom to a larger-than-normal flight deck that makes helicopter landings easier.

Rather than a traditional propeller, the ship uses only water jets to for propulsion, much like personal watercraft such as Jet Skis. That makes it faster and more maneuverable and allows it to operate in shallower water than if it had a propeller.

"It's quite different from anything else the Navy has to offer," Adkins said. "It's a lot of fun to drive. It goes fast, like a sports car."

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, a former state governor, will be in attendance at the Jackson's commissioning.

This story was originally published December 3, 2015 at 8:18 PM with the headline "Gulfport will play host to USS Jackson commissioning ."