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
-
![AUKUS heavyweight torpedo test raises questions over future armed UUV requirements]()
AUKUS heavyweight torpedo test raises questions over future armed UUV requirements
A heavyweight torpedo firing from the Royal Navy’s uncrewed submarine XV Excalibur suggests a shift beyond surveillance, with allied navies eyeing strike roles for large autonomous undersea vessels.
-
![Industrial teams prepare roadmap for Indonesia aircraft carrier transformation]()
Industrial teams prepare roadmap for Indonesia aircraft carrier transformation
Fincantieri and PT PAL have agreed on a framework to modernise the former Giuseppe Garibaldi, with drones, communications and broader Italian–Indonesian industrial ties involved.
-
![Five years on: where could opportunities emerge next for AUKUS Pillar II?]()
Five years on: where could opportunities emerge next for AUKUS Pillar II?
Payload commonality, combat systems and electronic warfare are emerging as likely priorities as the trilateral partnership balances building submarines with sharing industrial ecosystems.
