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.
Long overdue, the Australian government is finally ready to sign an overarching strategic partnering agreement (SPA) with Naval Group for construction of 12 new submarines, but this document will still not be inked until February 2019.
Defence Minister Christopher Pyne said: ‘I congratulate everyone involved in achieving this significant milestone. The SPA will be signed in early 2019 and will govern the delivery of the Future Submarines over the decades to come.’
Negotiations concluded at a National Security Committee meeting in Melbourne on 10 December.
When defence ministers are forced to congratulate parties for simply approaching the point of
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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.