The US Navy has taken delivery of the Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Kingsville (LCS 36) from Austal USA.
The handover follows acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico in February and its christening ceremony last year in Alabama.
The service wrote that the Kingsville’s commissioning will be held in the summer. It will then be stationed in San Diego, California, after induction processes are complete.
“The performance of Kingsville during this trial demonstrates a continuation of the standard of excellence in the LCS class as a whole,” US Navy LCS Deputy Program Manager Jonas Brown stated.
“We are thrilled by the quality of the ship and the performance of our partners at Austal.”
The Independence LCS
The US Department of Defense’s Independence ships are “fast, maneuverable and networked surface” combatants to match threats in coastal and littoral warfare.
Each vessel measures 127 meters (418 feet) and is powered by diesel engines, gas turbines, generators, and thrusters for a maximum speed of 44 knots (81 kilometers/51 miles per hour).
The ship is operated by a crew of 49, can carry 35 additional passengers, and has the capacity for a single MH-60 Seahawk helicopter and two MQ-8B Fire Scout drones.
Its armaments include electronic warfare, decoy launchers, missiles, and machine guns.
Concluding the Program
The LCS 36’s delivery will be succeeded by the handover of USS Pierre (LCS 38), the final Independence ship under Austal’s contract with the US Navy.
“With the delivery of LCS 36, and as we approach the end of the Independence-variant LCS program, it’s timely to reflect on the success of the program and the platform, especially recent milestones that clearly demonstrate the United States Navy’s confidence in the vessel and its capability,” Austal USA CEO Paddy Gregg said.
