The US Navy has taken delivery of its 19th and final Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS 38), the future USS Pierre, from Austal USA.
It was launched in August 2024 and completed acceptance trials in June 2025, in which its major systems and equipment were assessed. The delivery concludes the 15-year Independence-variant LCS program.
The ship will be commissioned this fall and homeported in San Diego, California.
“The LCS program, for all its complexities, has pushed the boundaries of naval design and operational concepts. The LCS represents a bold vision for a more agile and adaptable Navy,” Program Manager Capt. Matthew Lehmann commented.
Meanwhile, Austal President Michelle Kruger affirmed the company’s commitment to supporting the US Navy “with innovative maritime solutions and the highest standards of quality,” as the company is still working on the construction of nine other vessels for the US Navy and offshore patrol cutters for the US Coast Guard.
Littoral Combat Ships
The US Navy’s LCS comes in two variants, the Lockheed Martin-built Freedom-class and the Austal-built Independence-class.
They are small, fast surface combatants that can perform mine countermeasure missions and surface warfare in littoral zones.
They can operate solo or in support of larger vessels such as cruisers and destroyers.
However, the program comes with a troubled history. It was plagued with cost overruns, maintenance issues, and difficulties in swapping mission configurations.
Due to these problems, the US Navy decommissioned multiple Freedom-class vessels and earlier Independence-class ships after less than 10 years of service.
