Austal USA, Mobile, Ala., delivered the future USS Augusta (LCS 34) to the Navy on May 12.
The 421'6"x103.7' trimaran LCS 34 is the 17th Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) delivered by the company and the second Navy vessel to be named Augusta in honor of Maine’s state capital.
Delivery documents were signed on board the ship and followed the successful completion of acceptance trials during which the ship’s major systems and equipment were tested. The ship’s pre-commissioning unit will now prepare the ship for fleet introduction.
LCS ships are designed to support forward presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence missions. Several Austal USA-built LCSes have recently deployed to the western Pacific. The USS Mobile (LCS 26) got underway in March with a Coast Guard law enforcement team on the first deployment of the new Oceania Maritime Security Initiative with the objective of reducing illegal fishing, combating transnational crime, and enhancing regional security in the islands of the Western Pacific.
Each aluminum trimaran LCS has a displacement of 3,200 MT, a 15.1' draft, and is powered by a pair of 12,200-hp MTU 20V8000 diesel engines and two 29,500-hp GE LM2500 gas turbines.
“The delivery of the future USS Augusta is the result of a successful joint effort between Austal USA shipbuilders, our Navy teammates and suppliers from across the nation to produce a warship that will serve our country for years to come,” Rusty Murdaugh, president of Austal USA, said in a statement. “I am proud to maintain our commitment to the warfighter and our nation’s defense.”
Austal USA is building the Navy’s final two Independence-variant LCSes including the recently christened future USS Kingsville (LCS 36) and the future USS Pierre (LCS 38).
