US Navy receives final Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship
The delivery acceptance of the future USS Pierre marks the conclusion of the construction phase for the Independence-variant.
Austal USA has launched the US Navy’s future USS Oakland (LCS 24) at its ship manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama.
The Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) will be delivered in 2020.
Oakland is the 12th of 19 Independence class LCS that will join the navy’s fleet. The class is an fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments, while capable of open-ocean tasking defending against coastal threats such as submarines, mines and swarming small craft. They are capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence.
Four additional LCS are under various stages of construction at Austal's Alabama shipyard. The future USS Kansas City (LCS 22) is preparing sea trials. The future USS Mobile (LCS 26), Savannah (LCS 28) and Canberra (LCS 30) are under construction, and Austal has four more LCS under contract.
The delivery acceptance of the future USS Pierre marks the conclusion of the construction phase for the Independence-variant.
The new Barracuda version has been engineered to perform enhanced subsea and seabed warfare missions.
The nearly $25 billion investment will cover USCG procurement of cutters, aircraft, helicopters, training simulators and Polar capabilities over the next four years.
After commissioning, FRC Frederick Mann will operate in Alaska and perform multiple missions.
The US Coast Guard (USCG) created new units, including five Programme Executive Offices (PEOs), to facilitate and speed up the procurement of new capabilities.
The US Navy does not have a precise date for the award of the procurement contract for the third Arleigh Burke-class destroyer despite having the funds to advance with the programme in FY2025.