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.
