USS Tulsa commissioned as the US Navy’s newest warship

TULSA, Okla. – A vessel that bears the name of Oklahoma’s second-largest city has been commissioned as the newest warship in the U.S. Navy’s fleet.

The USS Tulsa was commissioned on Saturday at a pier in San Francisco. The warship is an Independence-class combat ship designed to patrol coastlines. It’s the eighth ship of its kind in the Navy’s fleet.

U.S. Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma says the ship is one of the most technologically advanced in the world. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Lankford said the massive vessel does not have a traditional rudder or propeller and operates more like a catamaran and a jet ski with a high draft, sitting just 14 feet (4 metres) in the water.

The warship features electronic components made by a Tulsa firm, U.S. Pioneer.