US Pacific Fleet to reinforce coastal operations with final Independence-class warship USS Pierre.

On August 20, 2025, the US Navy announced that it will commission the future USS Pierre (LCS 38) on November 15, 2025, in Panama City, Florida, marking the final addition to the Independence-variant littoral combat ship program. The vessel, constructed by Austal USA, is the nineteenth and last of its class and represents the conclusion of a program initiated in the early 2000s. The ship’s naming honors the citizens of Pierre, South Dakota, and their enduring support for the Navy and Marine Corps.
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Littoral combat ship (LCS) units, such as the USS Pierre, are intended for forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence, operating independently or alongside larger surface combatants such as cruisers and destroyers. (Picture source: US Navy)

South Dakota native Larissa Thune Hargens will serve as sponsor of the vessel and will deliver the commissioning order to “man our ship and bring her to life” at the ceremony, with the commissioning pennant raised to signify its formal entry into the fleet. The vessel will then transit to its assigned homeport in San Diego, where it will operate under Commander, Naval Surface Force, US Pacific Fleet, whose stated mission is to man, train, and equip the Surface Force to provide credible naval power to control the sea and project power ashore. The USS Pierre is the third ship to carry the name, following the World War II submarine chaser USS Pierre (PC-1141) and the SS Pierre Victory cargo ship, which distinguished itself by shooting down a kamikaze near Okinawa.

The keel of USS Pierre was laid on June 16, 2023, and the vessel was christened on May 18, 2024, before being launched on August 5, 2024, using Austal’s barge-to-drydock transfer system. Acceptance trials took place in the Gulf of Mexico on June 11, 2025, under the inspection of the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey. The trials assessed propulsion, navigation, sensors, and weapons systems and confirmed that the vessel met Navy operational and contractual requirements. Austal USA announced on July 11, 2025, that delivery had been completed following the successful conclusion of trials. Reports indicated that the ship achieved the highest measured quality during trials in 15 years, an assessment that concluded a program in which Austal USA managed as many as three ship deliveries per year at peak production. The delivery marked the last Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship constructed, closing a 15-year production run and the final sea trial under Austal USA’s management for this class.

The USS Pierre is 127.4 meters in length, with a beam of 31.6 meters and a draft of 4.27 meters. Its displacement is 2,307 metric tons when light and 3,104 metric tons fully loaded, with a deadweight of 797 metric tons. Propulsion includes two gas turbines, two diesel engines, four waterjets, a retractable azimuth thruster, and four diesel generators, giving the vessel an operational speed exceeding 40 knots and a maximum sprint speed of 47 knots. The ship has a range of 4,300 nautical miles at 20 knots and a payload capacity of 210 metric tons. The standard crew is 40 sailors, including 8 officers and 32 enlisted personnel, with accommodations for up to 35 additional personnel depending on mission requirements. The vessel carries advanced systems such as the Sea Giraffe 3D air and surface search radar, the Bridgemaster-E navigational radar, AN/KAX-2 electro-optical and infrared sensors, and the EDO ES-3601 electronic support system. Its defensive armament includes four SRBOC chaff launchers and an 11-cell SeaRAM missile launcher, while offensive armament consists of a BAE Systems Mk 110 57 mm gun and four .50 caliber machine guns. The flight deck and hangar can support two MH-60R/S Seahawks and unmanned aerial systems, including the MQ-8 Fire Scout.

The vessel’s mission bay can accommodate containerized modules and unmanned platforms, reflecting the program’s original modular concept. However, the Navy later determined that reconfiguration required weeks rather than hours as initially planned, and it standardized ships for fixed mission roles. Operational deployments have included roles in mine countermeasures, surface warfare, and unmanned operations. Ships of this class, such as USS Oakland, have operated as motherships for unmanned surface vessels, while USS Tulsa, USS Canberra, and USS Santa Barbara have deployed with the mine countermeasures package. USS Canberra has been operating in Bahrain under US 5th Fleet, with other ships set to follow, and the Oakland supported unmanned integration during an 18-month deployment in the US 7th Fleet. These examples indicate how the Navy intends to continue employing the platform for unmanned integration and littoral-focused missions despite the end of construction.

The Independence-variant program experienced significant challenges. Early ships such as USS Independence (LCS-2) and USS Coronado (LCS-4) were decommissioned early due to cost concerns and technical problems, including hull cracks and corrosion. Reports indicated that six hulls developed structural cracks above the waterline when operating in high seas at speeds above 15 knots. Other problems included deficiencies in propulsion reliability, anchoring systems, and corrosion protection, while the absence of bridge wings required retrofits. The first four hulls were redesignated as training ships and recommended for retirement in the FY21 budget, with the Navy citing limited lethality and poor return on investment. Later hulls incorporated design improvements, but internal assessments found that the class as a whole lacked the survivability and firepower required for contested maritime operations. The Navy has therefore focused on transitioning to the Constellation-class frigates, intended for multi-domain operations with enhanced lethality, range, and endurance.

The conclusion of the Independence program with USS Pierre marks a shift in US naval shipbuilding. Austal USA will redirect resources to other projects, including additional Navy and Coast Guard vessels, modules for Columbia- and Virginia-class submarines, and aircraft elevators for Ford-class aircraft carriers. Austal USA has proposed derivative designs based on the Independence hull, such as the MRV 80 and a frigate concept for the FFG(X) competition, although these were not adopted. As of 2025, sixteen Independence-class ships remain in active service, with some hulls under consideration for foreign transfer or specialized roles such as unmanned support and mine warfare. The commissioning of USS Pierre will both add another unit to the fleet and close a debated chapter in US naval procurement, while simultaneously emphasizing tradition, honoring the citizens of South Dakota, and representing a structural transition in US naval force composition.