Austal Launches The Very Last Littoral Combat Ship

Australian-owned shipbuilder Austal USA has launched the last Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship, USS Pierre. The yard emphasized that the final transporter-to-barge-to-drydock launch sequence went like clockwork, giving the aluminum-hulled trimaran a smooth departure. Pierre will undergo testing and preparation, then transit to her new home with Pacific Fleet. 

The second-to-last hull, USS Kingsville, was launched in March. After both events, Austal emphasized that the complex launch procedure demonstrates commitment to better operations, through partnerships that allow the firm to "continually examine our process, identify opportunities for improvement, and more effectively achieve these major ship milestones."  

Austal's next facility will have a shiplift adjacent to the assembly shed, which will be able to lower completed hulls directly into the water. 

Launch operations do not always go smoothly: At the side-launch of the final Freedom-class LCS, USS Cleveland, the newbuild made contact with the stern of an assist tug during the dynamic process of sliding down the ways. The shipbuilder, Marinette Marine, is investing in a ship-lift for gentler launch operations.

The LCS program is winding down so that the Navy can refocus on high-end warships, like the Constellation-class frigate, which is in an early construction and detail design phase at Marinette Marine. The Navy truncated the LCS program by not exercising options for the final three planned Freedom-class hulls, and it has asked Congress to decommission multiple ships years ahead of schedule, including the first two Independence-class LCS hulls and all of the first 10 Freedom-class ships.