Future USS Savannah (LCS 28) christened at Austal USA
Austal Limited (ASX:ASB) has announced that the future USS Savannah (LCS 28) has been christened at Austal USA’s state-of-the-art ship manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama. The future USS Savannah is the 14th of 19 Independence-class Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) Austal USA has under contract with the United States Navy.
The ship was officially christened by Mrs Dianne Isakson, the daughter of a World War II naval aviator and a sister to two brothers who both served in the United States Navy. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Mrs Isakson is married to the Honourable Johnny Isakson, a United States Senator from Georgia. The City of Savannah, after which the vessel is named, is the oldest city in the State of Georgia.
Celebrating the milestone, Austal Limited Chief Executive David Singleton said the continued success of the Independence-class LCS shipbuilding program demonstrated the extensive capabilities of the high-calibre Austal USA team.
“The christening of a ship is an important milestone and an appropriate time to reflect on all of the hard work that goes into the construction of each and every vessel. Congratulations to everyone at Austal USA and thank you for your tremendous productivity and efficiency in the delivery of the LCS program,” Mr Singleton said.
The Independence-class LCS is a fast, agile, focused-mission platform designed for operation in near-shore environments, yet it is also capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric “anti-access” threats, such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. The 127-metre high-speed trimaran hull warship integrates new technology and capability to support current and future mission capability from deep water to the littorals.
Five LCSs are presently under various stages of construction at Austal USA’s Mobile, Alabama shipyard; the future USS Mobile (LCS 26) is preparing for sea trials; assembly is underway on the future USS Savannah (LCS 28) and USS Canberra (LCS 30); while modules for the future USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) and USS Augusta (LCS 34) are under construction in the module manufacturing facility (MMF). The future USS Kingsville (LCS 36) and USS Pierre (LCS 38) are under contract.
In addition to being in full-rate production for the LCS program, Austal USA is also the United States Navy’s prime contractor for the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) program. Austal has delivered 12 EPFs, with a total of 14 under contract. Austal USA is also leading the evolution of connector and auxiliary ships, as Austal EPF designs for dedicated medical, maintenance, logistics, and command and control ships continue to impress fleet commanders.
