Austal launches future USS Augusta
The future USS Augusta being launched on 23 May. (Photo: Austal USA)
Sea trials of the latest Independence-variant LCS are scheduled for late 2022, even as the USN proposes to confine the vessels to mine countermeasure missions.
The 17th Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) vessel for the USN took to the water on 23 May, after shipbuilder Austal USA conducted a multi-step launch of the future USS Augusta (LCS 34).
Assisted by tugs, the 2,500t ship was escorted from the Austal USA floating dry dock in Mobile, Alabama, and secured pierside on the waterfront for machinery commissioning and system activation.
Sea trials will follow ‘later this year’, Austal USA noted in a statement. Augusta will then join her sister ships in the Pacific.
A total of 19 Independence-variant LCSs are on order from the USN, with five of these at various stages of construction.
However, Under President Joe Biden’s 2023 US DoD budget request, the USN plans to eliminate the LCS anti-submarine warfare mission due to technical challenges and the upcoming entry into service of the Constellation-class frigate.
The Independence-variant vessels will be devoted to mine countermeasure missions instead.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![SAHA 2026: Aselsan seeks to replicate Turkey’s UAV success at sea]()
SAHA 2026: Aselsan seeks to replicate Turkey’s UAV success at sea
Turkey’s defence electronics company has unveiled two new uncrewed naval systems at SAHA 2026 – but the harder test will be converting it into an export success.
-
![HHI poised to start submarine production in Peru pending election outcome]()
HHI poised to start submarine production in Peru pending election outcome
South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries confirmed to Shephard that the company is awaiting the Peruvian government’s decision to allow it to move forward with the production of the HDS-1500 submarine.
-
![How the Hormuz mine threat exposes potential Baltic MCM shortfalls]()
How the Hormuz mine threat exposes potential Baltic MCM shortfalls
Ageing Baltic vessels and an absence of active minehunting vessel programmes in the region have been put under the spotlight in the recent conflict.
