The US Navy 24th littoral combat ship, the future USS Oakland (LCS 24), has successfully completed acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico.
LCS 24 is the 12th Independence-class LCS built by Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama, for the US Navy.
Austal Chief Executive Officer David Singleton said the successful completion of acceptance trials for LCS 24 during the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated Austal USA’s capability and reliability to deliver vessels on time, even under challenging circumstances.
Acceptance trials involve the execution of a number of tests by the Austal-led industry team while the vessel is underway; demonstrating to the US Navy the successful operation of the ship’s major systems and equipment. The trials are last significant milestone before delivery of the ship, scheduled for June 2020.
The completion of sea trials for the USS Oakland coincided with the arrival of future USS Kansas City (LCS 22) at its homeport in San Diego before its commissioning in June this year.
Austal USA said its Independence-class LCS program is at full rate production, with six ships currently under construction including Oakland. The future USS Mobile (LCS 26) has been launched and is preparing for trials. Final assembly is well underway on the future USS Savannah (LCS 28) and USS Canberra (LCS 30), while modules for the future USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) are under construction in the module manufacturing facility. Austal USA cut the first aluminium to mark start of construction for the future USS Augusta (LCS 34) in early April.
