It’s not every day that a U.S. Navy ship visits Santa Barbara.

On Wednesday, the USS Santa Barbara littoral combat ship visited its namesake on the anniversary of being commissioned.

The USS Santa Barbara is a relatively small military vessel designed for operations near shore and in open ocean environments.

It is based at Naval Base San Diego.

The USS Santa Barbara was built in Mobile, Alabama, by Austal USA. It was launched in late 2021 and accepted by the Navy in July 2022 after sea trials.

The USS Santa Barbara was commissioned on April 2, 2023.

Commander Brian Sparks was the commanding officer for the vessel for its first 17 months before being relieved by Commander Adam Ochs in November.

“The amazing Santa Barbara crew took delivery of our ship in July of 2022 and hasn’t stopped moving since,” Sparks said in a U.S. Navy story about the change of command ceremony.

“They focused in this phase of the ship’s life on testing every system, improving processes and procedures, and making a lasting impression on the impact on readiness. The crew and ship are prepared to join the fleet and embody the ship’s motto of Resilient and Determined as they take the ship into the future fight.”