The US Received Its Last Independence-Class Ship

Austal USA has delivered the last Independence-class littoral combat ship (LCS) to the US Navy — the future USS Pierre (LCS 38).

The company announced this in a press release.

The transfer documents were signed on board after the successful completion of acceptance trials on June 9, 2025. During the trials, the ship’s main systems and equipment were tested to demonstrate their successful operation and readiness for service.

The last LCS Independence was launched in August 2024 and has been under construction afloat since then. The USS Pierre is scheduled to be deployed in the Pacific Fleet’s area of responsibility.

“The delivery of the future USS Pierre will be one of our most memorable achievements, as it marks the completion of Austal USA’s Independence-class coastal combat ship program,” said Michelle Krueger, president of Austal USA.

Independence

Independence is a class of coastal combat ships designed by the Australian company Austal under the LCS (Littoral Combat Ship) program. A total of 19 coastal combat ships of this type were built over 15 years.

The first four ships of the LCS program were test platforms, which were quickly withdrawn from the fleet due to numerous problems.

The lead ship of the Independence class, commissioned in 2010, was decommissioned on July 29, 2021. The second ship, named Coronado, served only eight years and was decommissioned on September 14, 2022.

Independence-class ships are 127.2 meters long, 30.4 meters wide, have a draft of 4.5 meters, and a full displacement of 3,104 tons. A speed of up to 44 knots is provided by two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines or two MTU Friedrichshafen 20V diesel engines.

The cruising range does not exceed 4,300 nautical miles. The crew consists of 40 people, with an additional 35 on board as part of the auxiliary crew.

The main armament consists of a 57 mm Mk 110 gun from BAE Systems, RGM-184A (NSM) anti-ship missiles, and AGM-114L Hellfire missiles in a SUW vertical launch system. RIM-116 missiles provide air defense.

In January 2025, the USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) became the first Independence-class ship to receive mine countermeasure capabilities through the integration of a mine countermeasure module (MCM), which is scheduled for initial deployment in 2025.

However, during testing of the module, it became apparent that not all of its components could fit into the compartment designated for it on ships of this class. As a result, the US Navy was forced to abandon the concept of full modularity with the ability to quickly change equipment to perform different types of missions.