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.
General support ship Aias. (Photo: Hellenic Ministry of National Defence)
On 25 November, The Hellenic Navy inducted its latest general support ship Aias, at a ceremony at Salamis Naval Base.
The ship, donated to Greece by the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation, measures 83.2m and displaces 4,426t. Aias has a top speed of 16kt with an open 1000m2 deck.
Speaking at the ceremony, Greek Minister of National Defence Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos said the ship, along with other previously donated general support ships Atlas 1 and Heracles, would support the Hellenic Navy’s fleet in the Aegean and ‘wherever requested’.
While of the same class, the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation said Aias differs from its sister ships featuring a ‘purely electric’ propulsion system.
Earlier this month, Greece and the Netherlands signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) opening the door to the possible transfer of two Karel Doorman (M)-class frigates and six mine countermeasure vessels to the Hellenic Navy.
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.