Austal Limited is pleased to announce that Austal USA has delivered its 14th Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) to the U.S. Navy, from the company’s shipyard in Mobile, Alabama.
Achieving significant gains in production efficiency, the future USS Savannah (LCS-28) was completed by Austal USA in just under three years, a full twelve months earlier than previous ships delivered under the same program.
Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg said the delivery of LCS-28 highlighted Austal USA’s proven capabilities to deliver multiple, complex naval shipbuilding programs efficiently, on schedule and within budget.
«Savannah is the seventh ship delivered by Austal USA to the US Navy in just 2 years, which is an incredible achievement», Mr. Gregg said. «The Austal USA team have developed industry-leading efficiencies in Mobile, to construct both the Independence-class LCS and Spearhead-class EPF on schedule and within budget. To complete Savannah in just under 3 years, a full twelve months less than previous vessels from the program, is simply outstanding. The entire Austal USA team are to be commended on their skills, drive and commitment to developing the United States’ shipbuilding industrial base, and the delivery of this latest capability to the Navy».
The Independence-class LCS is a fast, agile, and focused-mission platform designed for operation in near-shore environments, yet capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric «anti-access» threats, such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. The 128-metre/421-foot high-speed trimaran hull warship integrates new technology to support current and future mission capability from deep water to the littoral zone.
Five Independence-class LCS and two Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport ships (EPF) are currently under construction at Austal USA; with two additional ships, LCS-38 and EPF-15 under contract and soon to commence construction.
Austal USA has recently been awarded a concept and preliminary design contract for the U.S. Navy’s Light Amphibious Warship (LAW), which would be manufactured on Austal USA’s new steel production line. The shipyard has also been awarded a functional design contract to prepare for construction of the new steel hull Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship (T-ATS) for the U.S. Navy.
This ASX announcement has been approved and authorised for release by Paddy Gregg, Austal Limited’s Chief Executive Officer.
The Independence Variant of the LCS
| PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS | |
| Construction | Hull and superstructure – aluminium alloy |
| Length overall | 421 feet/128.3 m |
| Beam overall | 103 feet/31.4 m |
| Hull draft (maximum) | 14.8 feet/4.5 m |
| PAYLOAD AND CAPACITIES | |
| Complement | Core Crew – 40 |
| Mission crew – 36 | |
| Berthing | 76 in a mix of single, double & quad berthing compartments |
| Maximum mission load | 210 tonnes |
| Mission Bay Volume | 118,403 feet3/11,000 m3 |
| Mission packages | Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) |
| Surface Warfare (SUW) | |
| Mine Warfare (MIW) | |
| PROPULSION | |
| Main engines | 2 × GE LM2500 |
| 2 × MTU 20V 8000 | |
| Waterjets | 4 × Wartsila steerable |
| Bow thruster | Retractable azimuthing |
| PERFORMANCE | |
| Speed | 40 knots/46 mph/74 km/h |
| Range | 3,500 NM/4,028 miles/6,482 km |
| Operational limitation | Survival in Sea State 8 |
| MISSION/LOGISTICS DECK | |
| Deck area | >21,527.8 feet2/2,000 m2 |
| Launch and recovery | Twin boom extending crane |
| Loading | Side ramp |
| Internal elevator to hanger | |
| Launch/Recover Watercraft | Sea State 4 |
| FLIGHT DECK AND HANGER | |
| Flight deck dimensions | 2 × SH-60 or 1 × CH-53 or multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles/Vertical Take-off and Land Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs/VTUAVs) |
| Hanger | Aircraft stowage & maintenance for 2 × SH-60 |
| Launch/Recover Aircraft | Sea State 5 |
| WEAPONS AND SENSORS | |
| Standard | 1 × 57-mm gun |
| 4 × 12.7-mm/.50 caliber guns | |
| 1 × Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) launcher | |
| 3 × weapons modules | |
Independence-class
| Ship | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Homeport |
| USS Independence (LCS-2) | 01-19-2006 | 04-26-2008 | 01-16-2010 | San Diego, California |
| USS Coronado (LCS-4) | 12-17-2009 | 01-14-2012 | 04-05-2014 | San Diego, California |
| USS Jackson (LCS-6) | 08-01-2011 | 12-14-2013 | 12-05-2015 | San Diego, California |
| USS Montgomery (LCS-8) | 06-25-2013 | 08-06-2014 | 09-10-2016 | San Diego, California |
| USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) | 04-16-2014 | 02-25-2015 | 06-10-2017 | San Diego, California |
| USS Omaha (LCS-12) | 02-18-2015 | 11-20-2015 | 02-03-2018 | San Diego, California |
| USS Manchester (LCS-14) | 06-29-2015 | 05-12-2016 | 05-26-2018 | San Diego, California |
| USS Tulsa (LCS-16) | 01-11-2016 | 03-16-2017 | 02-16-2019 | San Diego, California |
| USS Charleston (LCS-18) | 06-28-2016 | 09-14-2017 | 03-02-2019 | San Diego, California |
| USS Cincinnati (LCS-20) | 04-10-2017 | 05-22-2018 | 10-05-2019 | San Diego, California |
| USS Kansas City (LCS-22) | 11-15-2017 | 10-19-2018 | 06-20-2020 | San Diego, California |
| USS Oakland (LCS-24) | 07-20-2018 | 07-21-2019 | 04-17-2021 | San Diego, California |
| USS Mobile (LCS-26) | 12-14-2018 | 01-11-2020 | 05-22-2021 | San Diego, California |
| USS Savannah (LCS-28) | 09-20-2018 | 09-08-2020 | ||
| USS Canberra (LCS-30) | 03-10-2020 | 03-30-2021 | ||
| USS Santa Barbara (LCS-32) | 10-27-2020 | |||
| USS Augusta (LCS-34) | ||||
| USS Kingsville (LCS-36) | ||||
| USS Pierre (LCS-38) |