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.
Engineers aboard HMS Prince of Wales have successfully completed the first run of the aircraft carrier’s diesel generators, the Royal Navy announced on 26 November.
The 65,000t Prince of Wales is the Royal Navy’s second aircraft carrier and is expected to carry out sea trials in the second half of 2019 before entering service.
The vessel is equipped with four Wärtsilä diesel generators, each capable of producing more than 11MW of power. Collectively, these four diesels generate 40% of the total power produced by the carrier; the Rolls-Royce MT30 main engines which drive the ship through the water account for the rest.
Lt James Sheridan-Browne, the carrier’s power and propulsion engineering officer, said: ‘With the first run of HMS Prince of Wales’ diesel generators now complete, the ship is truly coming to life on its own systems. The running of diesel generators will now continue to provide a steady drumbeat to sailing the ship to Portsmouth in 2019.’
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.