US Navy's final Independence-class littoral combat ship wraps up acceptance trials

Austal USA has completed conducting acceptance trials on the company’s 19th Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the last ship in the class to be built for the US Navy.

The future USS Pierre's acceptance trials involve comprehensive testing conducted on the ship’s major systems and equipment in order to demonstrate their successful operation and mission readiness.

The US Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey participated throughout the trials to validate the quality of construction and compliance with navy requirements.

The LCS will soon transition to her home port of 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 future Pierre is the second US Navy ship named in honour of the capital city of South Dakota. The LCS measures 418 feet (127 metres) long and 104 feet (31.6 metres) wide and displaces 3,421 tons at full load.

Armament will include a BAE Systems naval gun, four 12.7mm machine guns, and Evolved SeaRAM surface-to-air missiles.