Austal-built LCS 20 completed acceptance trials.

On February 14, AUSTAL (ASX: ASB) announced its tenth Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the future USS Cincinnati (LCS 20) successfully completed acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico.

LCS 20, the USS Cincinnati (Picture source : U.S. Navy)

Completing acceptance trials is the last significant milestone required by the U.S. Navy before the ship is delivered and commissioned into service. The trials involved the Navy conducting comprehensive tests to demonstrate the performance of the propulsion plant, ship-handling and auxiliary systems.

"I can’t say enough about the positive results achieved by the Navy and industry team during these acceptance trials of the future USS Cincinnati. She’s well into her journey to being delivered to the Navy this summer and will provide needed and cost-effective warfighting capability to the fleet and the nation" Capt. Mike Taylor, US Navy LCS program manager said.

“We are exceptionally proud of the LCS program, it is in a full rate of production and being delivered at a reliable and efficient pace. It is a real credit to our Austal USA team in Mobile,” David Singleton, Austal CEO said.

Following delivery and commissioning, USS Cincinnati will join her nine sister ships already homeported in San Diego, USS Independence (LCS 2), USS Coronado (LCS 4), USS Jackson (LCS 6), USS Montgomery (LCS 8), USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), USS Omaha (LCS 12), USS Manchester (LCS 14), the future USS Tulsa (LCS 16) and the future USS Charleston (LCS 18).

Austal USA currently has four LCS under construction. Final assembly is well underway on the future USS Kansas City (LCS 22) and USS Oakland (LCS 24). Modules for the future USS Mobile (LCS 26) are under construction in the module manufacturing facility and construction on the future USS Savannah (LCS 28) commenced last summer. Additionally, Austal is preparing for construction of the future USS Canberra (LCS 30), Santa Barbara (LCS 32), Augusta (LCS 34), Kingsville (LCS 36) and Pierre (LCS 38).

The LCS is a highly manoeuvrable, lethal and adaptable ship designed to support focused mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare missions. The Independence-variant LCS integrates new technology and capability to affordably support current and future mission capability, from deep water to the littorals.

The LCS is now the second-largest surface ship class in production. In 2018, five LCS were delivered to the Fleet and three will be delivered in 2019 — a pace of construction and delivery not seen since the 1990s.