Austal's LCS 22 completes acceptance trials

AUSTAL Limited (ASX: ASB) has announced that the future USS Kansas City (LCS 22) has successfully completed acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico. USS Kansas City is the eleventh Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), designed and built by Austal in Mobile, Alabama, to reach this milestone.

Acceptance trials involve comprehensive testing by an Austal USA-led industry team while underway, demonstrating to the Navy the successful operation of the ship’s major systems and equipment. It is the last significant milestone before delivery of the ship. LCS 22 will be the third ship Austal USA delivers to the Navy in 2019.

Austal CEO David Singleton congratulated Austal USA for achieving this critical program milestone.

The Independence-class LCS is a high-speed, multi-mission, small surface combatant; capable of operating independently or in a group. These ships are designed to defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance along coastal waters. A fast, manoeuvrable, and networked vessel, the LCS provides the required warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility to execute focused missions such as surface warfare, mine warfare and anti-submarine warfare.

The Independence-class LCS program is at a full rate of production, with five ships currently under construction. The future USS Oakland (LCS 24) has recently launched and is preparing for trials, while final assembly is well underway on the future USS Mobile (LCS 26) and USS Savannah (LCS 28). Modules for the future USS Canberra (LCS 30) are under construction in the module manufacturing facility, and construction on the future USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) began in October.