The future USS Pierre — the final Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship being built for the U.S. Navy — has completed her sea trials, shipbuilder Austal USA has announced.
The trimaran ship is built to a modular design which can be reconfigured for various roles by changing the embarked mission “packages”, each of which includes module equipment such as weapon systems, and sensors, embarked craft and dedicated mission crews.
The U.S. Navy ordered 35 LCS vessels; 19 of them built to the Independence-class design, and 16 more conventional Freedom-class vessels designed by Lockheed Martin and built by Finacantieri subsidiary Marinette Marine.
The 127-metre Independence-class Austal-built vessels are capable of 44 knots and have a 4,300nm range; they have a flight deck for an embarked MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and FireScout uncrewed aerial system (UAS).
Now the future USS Pierre has completed her sea trials she will soon transition to her home port of San Diego. The impending delivery of USS Pierre to the U.S. Navy will mark the completion of a 15-year programme which at its high point peaked at a delivery rate of three LCS vessels a year.
Austal USA Vice President of Surface Ship Programmes Harley Combs commented: “The completion of LCS 38 sea trials marks the achievement of an important milestone at Austal USA, the last LCS to go out to sea under our control.”
He added: “Congratulations to our Austal USA shipbuilders, vendors and our Navy teammates who coordinated to accomplish this successful milestone preparing the ship for delivery in a couple of weeks.”
Austal USA is currently also building seven more Navy and Coast Guard ships as well as modules for both the Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines and aircraft elevators for the Ford-class carriers.
- You can read more details on the Austal USA website
