The future USS Kingsville (LCS 36) recently returned pier side at Austal USA, Mobile, Ala., after successfully completing acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico for the U.S. Navy.
During acceptance trials, comprehensive testing is conducted on the ship’s major systems and equipment in order to demonstrate their successful operation and mission readiness.
The 421'6"x103.7' LCS is a high-speed, agile, shallow draft, focused-mission surface combatant. It's designed to conduct surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and mine countermeasures missions in the littoral near-shore region, while also possessing the capability for deep-water operations. With its open-architecture design, the LCS can support modular weapons, sensor systems and a variety of manned and unmanned vehicles.
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 U.S. Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey participates throughout the trials to validate the quality of construction and compliance with Navy requirements.
“The completion of trials combined with the recent delivery of USNS Cody (EPF 14) adds up to a successful start to 2024 for Austal USA,” Dave Growden, Austal USA vice president of new construction programs, said in a prepared statement. “Congratulations to our Austal USA shipbuilders, vendors and our Navy teammates who coordinated to accomplish this successful milestone getting the ship ready for delivery in a couple of weeks.”
Kingsville will be the 18th Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship to join the Navy in the Pacific fleet. This leaves the future USS Pierre (LCS 38) as the final LCS under construction at Austal USA bringing the Independence-variant line to a close. Pierre will be christened this spring.
In addition to the two remaining LCSes, Austal USA is also constructing two Expeditionary Fast Transport ships, two Navajo-class Towing, Salvage, and Rescue Ships, an Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock Medium craft, and an unmanned surface vessel for the Navy as well as modules for both the Virginia- and Columbia-class submarine programs and aircraft elevators for the Ford-class aircraft carrier fleet. Construction will begin this summer on the U.S. Coast Guard’s Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutters.
