LCS 20 delivered to USN
The US Navy has accepted delivery of Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 20 from Austal, to be named USS Cincinnati.
Accepted on 21 June during a ceremony in Mobile, Alabama, this is the 18th LCS to be delivered to the USN, and the 10th Independence-class example to join the fleet. Commissioning will take place in Gulfport, Mississippi later this year.
Five additional Independence-variant ships are under construction at Austal USA. These include the USS Kansas City (LCS 22) which is expected to be delivered to the navy later year, plus USS Oakland (LCS 24), USS Mobile (LCS 26), USS Savannah (LCS 28) and USS Canberra (LCS 30), which are all in various stages of construction.
Four more ships are awaiting the start of construction following LCS 30, according to Austal.
LCS is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments, while it is also capable of open-ocean tasking and operating against modern coastal threats such as submarines, mines and swarming small craft. It is capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Royal Canadian Navy advances with the construction of its first River-Class destroyer]()
Royal Canadian Navy advances with the construction of its first River-Class destroyer
Scheduled for delivery by 2033, HMCS Fraser will be a major surface component of the Canadian maritime combat power.
-
![Ireland orders Thales towed array sonar]()
Ireland orders Thales towed array sonar
Ireland has a large Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which extends 370km (200nm) offshore and contains 75% of the transatlantic subsea cables which carry $10 trillion in financial transactions daily. The country is investing to increase protection and surveillance of these waters.
-
![South Korea advances next-gen naval concepts for future force needs]()
South Korea advances next-gen naval concepts for future force needs
HHI and Hanwha Ocean outline highly autonomous and unmanned-enabled designs as the ROKN explores force structure for the 2030s and beyond.
-
![US Navy seeks industry partners to address pressing research needs]()
US Navy seeks industry partners to address pressing research needs
The Office of Naval Research will host an Industry Engagement Day in August aiming at building new partnerships and advancing its science and technology initiatives in multiple areas.
