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.
Kongsberg Gruppen has introduced a new naval ship design called Vanguard, designed to meet modern threats across a range of roles.
The vessel has been developed to fulfil the needs of coastal nations for both military and civilian operations, such as search and rescue, harbour and assets protection, subsea survey, anti-access/area-denial, anti-submarine warfare and mine clearance, and detection and disposal.
Vanguard is designed with a multi-role hangar for air, surface and sub-surface assets. Easily interchangeable mission modules and extensive use of unmanned vehicles enables quick change of operational roles. The Vanguard is also based on an open architecture to integrate and take advantage of new technology as it becomes available.
The vessel is based on civilian and commercial ship design, combined with flexible military mission packs.
Eirik Lie, president, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, said: ‘The Vanguard by Kongsberg represents a game changer in naval operations. Combining our experience from the maritime, offshore and naval sectors, this innovative concept provides an adaptable and affordable solution to meet the operational needs of coastal nations.’
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.