Austal USA delivers future USS Pierre (LCS 38)

Delivery documents were signed on board future USS Pierre (LCS 38) following the successful completion of acceptance trials held the week of June 9, 2025. [Photo: Austal USA]

Austal USA delivered the future USS Pierre (LCS 38) to the U.S. Navy this past Friday, the second ship delivered by the Mobile, Ala., shipbuilder to the Navy in less than a month. LCS 38 is the 19th Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) delivered by the company and the last of the Independence-variants that will be delivered.

It is the second U.S. Navy vessel to be named after Pierre, the capital city of South Dakota. The ship’s sponsor is Larissa Thune, daughter of Senate Leader John Thune.

Ms Thune welded her initials into the ship’s keel plate at the keel laying ceremony held in June of 2023 and christened the ship in front of hundreds of guests last May. She will continue to strengthen her relationship with the ship’s crew as she carries out her sponsor’s responsibilities throughout the life of the ship.

Delivery documents were signed on board following the successful completion of acceptance trials held the week of June 9, 2025. The trials tested the ship’s major systems and equipment to demonstrate their successful operation and mission readiness. The ships’ pre-commissioning unit will now begin preparations for fleet introduction.

“The Delivery of the future USS Pierre will be one of our most memorable milestone achievements as it marks the conclusion of Austal USA’s Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship program,” said Austal USA president Michelle Kruger. “Our shipbuilding team has poured years of dedication, innovation, and manufacturing excellence into this ship and the results are evident. Though USS Pierre is the last LCS Austal USA will deliver, we remain committed to supporting the U.S. Navy with innovative maritime solutions and the highest standards of quality.”

Austal USA’s Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) are fast, agile, platforms designed for near-shore operations, supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence.

The Austal USA-built LCS variant is also playing a key role in advancing the Navy’s unmanned programs, with USS Oakland (LCS 24) having recently served as a mothership for unmanned surface vessels and large flight decks support unmanned drones during an 18-month deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet. USS Tulsa (LCS 16), USS Canberra (LCS 30) and USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) have deployed with the mine countermeasures (MCM) mission package which features airborne and unmanned systems, enhancing littoral capabilities. USS Canberra is serving a rotational deployment in Bahrain as part of the U.S. 5th Fleet soon to be joined by Santa Barbara and eventually Tulsa.

Austal USA has nine U.S. Navy vessels and one U.S. Coast Guard cutter under construction with construction scheduled to begin on a second cutter in early August.