U.S. Navy Commissions USS Pierre Littoral Combat Ship in Florida as Final Independence-Variant Joins Fleet.

The U.S. Navy commissioned the Independence-variant USS Pierre LCS 38 in Panama City, Florida, on November 15, 2025, bringing the final trimaran littoral combat ship into active service. The event closes a major shipbuilding effort that shaped the Navy's approach to shallow water missions and distributed operations.

The U.S. Navy formally added the USS Pierre LCS 38 to its active roster during a commissioning ceremony on November 15, 2025, in Panama City, a moment senior officials described as both celebratory and symbolic for the program that delivered the service's aluminum trimaran littoral combat ships. Navy leaders at the event noted that the Pierre will take on coastal security, partner training, and high-tempo regional patrol missions that continue to rely on the class's shallow draft and rapid acceleration. Shipbuilders and local officials highlighted the years of development, refinement, and operational lessons that shaped the Independence variant from its earliest hulls to its final entry.
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USS Pierre (LCS 38) enters service as the last Independence-variant LCS, offering the U.S. Navy high-speed maneuverability, unmanned integration, and mission modules for surface, mine, and submarine threats. (Picture source: U.S. Department of War)

The U.S. Navy USS Pierre enters service as one of the most mature and refined ships in the Independence design series. The aluminum trimaran hull provides excellent stability during high-speed maneuvers and enables the ship to operate in shallow waters where larger surface combatants cannot. At more than 418 feet (127.4 meters) long and with a beam of approximately 104 feet (31.7 meters), the ship displaces about 3,100 tons (3,154 tonnes). Its water-jet propulsion system enables speeds above 40 knots (74 km/h), allowing rapid repositioning and flexible tasking across contested maritime regions.

The Independence-variant class has played a key role in the Navy’s transition toward agile and modular platforms. With USS Pierre now commissioned, the Navy completes the integration of all planned ships in this variant. A total of 19 Independence-variant hulls were constructed, and 18 of them are now commissioned and operational, forming a sizable force of high-speed littoral combatants used across the Pacific and U.S. coastal regions. These ships have supported maritime security operations, multinational exercises, and forward deployments across Southeast Asia, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Designed for mission adaptability, the ship incorporates a modular architecture that supports surface warfare, mine countermeasures, and anti-submarine warfare packages. In the surface warfare role, the ship conducts fast-response maritime security missions and interdiction operations supported by RHIB intercept teams, precision small-caliber weapons, and unmanned aerial systems. For mine countermeasures, the LCS deploys unmanned underwater vehicles, advanced sonar systems, and neutralization tools to detect and clear mines at safe standoff distances. In the anti-submarine configuration, it integrates variable-depth sonar, towed arrays, and unmanned assets optimized for tracking diesel-electric submarines in shallow, acoustically complex waters.

The ship’s combat systems give it a capable defensive and offensive profile for operations in the littoral battlespace. Its 57 mm Mk 110 main gun provides accurate, high-rate fire against small surface threats and fast-attack craft. The SeaRAM missile system enhances close-in air defense against drones, low-flying aircraft, and incoming missiles, while select hulls employ 30 mm (1.18-inch) Mk 46 guns for close-range engagements. These systems allow the Independence class to respond quickly to dynamic surface and aerial threats during patrols and maritime security missions.

A defining advantage of the Independence class is its aviation capacity, supported by one of the largest flight decks on a ship of its size. The deck accommodates MH-60R/S Seahawk and MQ-8 Fire Scout helicopters, enabling long-range reconnaissance, anti-submarine operations, and extended surveillance. Combined with the ship’s mission bay, the aviation facilities allow simultaneous operation of manned and unmanned systems, reinforcing the Navy’s shift toward distributed and autonomous maritime operations.

The ship’s sensor suite includes the TRS-3D air and surface search radar, which provides detection and tracking of small, fast, and low-signature targets typical of coastal environments. Its open-architecture combat system supports rapid integration of new sensors, unmanned vehicles, and future technologies, ensuring adaptability to evolving mission requirements. The ship also shares data with larger surface combatants, maritime patrol aircraft, and unmanned vessels to enhance joint maritime domain awareness.

For the U.S. Navy, the Independence-variant LCS remains important despite a broader transition toward larger, more heavily armed combatants. The ship’s shallow draft of 14.4 feet (4.39 meters), high speed, and modular flexibility make it especially valuable in the Indo-Pacific, the Caribbean, and congested chokepoints where rapid presence and access are critical. It supports partner-nation training, counter-trafficking missions, maritime interdiction, freedom-of-navigation patrols, and mine-clearing operations essential to global supply routes.

Navy officials highlighted during the commissioning that USS Pierre strengthens the fleet’s ability to operate in contested littorals while complementing the growing integration of unmanned surface and undersea systems. The ship represents both the culmination of a large naval program and an enduring asset within the fleet’s evolving distributed maritime posture.

Strategically, USS Pierre reinforces the U.S. Navy’s ability to project power across shallow waterways, maintain a persistent presence, and respond rapidly to emerging threats. As the final Independence-variant littoral combat ship to enter service, Pierre marks the completion of a major modernization effort while continuing to deliver operational value across the Navy’s global mission set.