US Navy takes delivery of final Independence-class littoral combat ship

The US Navy took delivery of its 19th and last Independence-class littoral combat ship (LCS) from Austal USA in a ceremony in Mobile, Alabama, on Friday, July 11.

The future USS Pierre is 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.

"The LCS represents a bold vision for a more agile and adaptable navy," Captain Matthew Lehmann, Program Manager of the LCS Program Office, commented during the future Pierre's delivery.

"We are seeing the fleet operating these ships with the advanced mission packages they were designed for and they are continuing to evolve those operational concepts as more unmanned technologies come online."