The US Navy commissioned its 19th and last Independence-class littoral combat ship (LCS) in a ceremony in Panama City, Florida, on Saturday, November 15.
USS Pierre will be homeported in San Diego, from where she will be deployed to the Pacific Fleet area of responsibility supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence.
The LCS is the second US Navy ship named in honour of the capital city of South Dakota. She measures 418 feet (127 metres) long and 104 feet (31.6 metres) wide and displaces 3,421 tons at full load, while armament includes a BAE Systems naval gun, four Browning M2 12.7mm machine guns and Evolved SeaRAM surface-to-air missiles.
The ship's propulsion will deliver a maximum speed of 43 knots. Alternatively, a cruising speed of 20 knots will enable her to sail up to 4,300 nautical miles.
As with her Independence-class sisters, Pierre was built at the Mobile, Alabama facilities of Austal USA.