The U.S. Navy ship U.S.S. Santa Barbara cruised past its namesake port on Monday ahead of its commissioning later this week.

The U.S.S. Santa Barbara is what is known as a littoral combat ship, a relatively small military vessel designed for operations near shore.

The Santa Barbara is part of the “independence class” of littoral combat ships, and is the 32nd type of the vessel.

The Santa Barbara will be formally commissioned on Saturday at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme.

Then Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer announced LCS 32 would be named the Santa Barbara on Oct. 10, 2018, and the keel was laid two years later.

The ship was christened and launched Oct. 16, 2021, and was delivered to the Navy on July 21, 2022.

After being commissioned, the Santa Barbara will return to her homeport of San Diego on April 1.

The commissioning ceremony will occur at 11 a.m. Saturday, but tickets for the public no longer are available.