The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of the future USS Augusta (LCS-34) at Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama, May 12. USS Augusta (LCS-34) is the second ship named in honor of the city of Augusta, Maine.
«The delivery of the future USS Augusta (LCS-34) marks a noteworthy milestone in the life of this ship and forges a great connection to the citizens of Maine, a state with a long history of shipbuilding», said Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program manager, Captain Andy Gold. «I look forward to seeing the future USS Augusta (LCS-34) and her sailors bring critical capability to the fleet».
In March, USS Augusta (LCS-34) completed acceptance trials, the last significant milestone before a vessel is delivered to the U.S. Navy. The ship is scheduled to be commissioned in the fall of 2023. After commissioning, the ship will be homeported in San Diego, California.
USS Augusta (LCS-34) is the second LCS delivered in Fiscal Year 2023, following the Freedom-variant USS Marinette (LCS-25) in February. Two additional Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ships are currently being constructed at Austal USA, including the recently launched USS Kingsville (LCS-36) and USS Pierre (LCS-38).
Ex-USS Augusta (SSN-710), the first ship named after the capital of Maine, was a Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine in active service for 24 years and was decommissioned on February 11, 2009.
The Littoral Combat Ship is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments, while capable of open-ocean tasking and winning against 21st-century coastal threats such as mines and swarming small craft. They are capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence.
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 | 02-05-2022 | San Diego, California |
| USS Canberra (LCS-30) | 03-10-2020 | 03-30-2021 | San Diego, California | |
| USS Santa Barbara (LCS-32) | 10-27-2020 | 11-12-2021 | 04-01-2022 | San Diego, California |
| USS Augusta (LCS-34) | 07-30-2021 | 05-23-2022 | San Diego, California | |
| USS Kingsville (LCS-36) | 02-23-2022 | 03-27-2023 | San Diego, California | |
| USS Pierre (LCS-38) |