Austal USA delivers the future USS Kingsville

The future USS Kingsville (LCS 36) is the penultimate ship in the Independence-variant LCS program. [Photo: Austal USA]

As production of the Navy’s littoral combat ship (LCS) program approaches its planned closure, Austal USA has delivered the next to final ship of the trimaran-hulled Independence-variant LCS series, the future USS Kingsville (LCS 36). Kingsville is the 18th Independence-variant delivered by the Mobile, Ala., shipbuilder and the first U.S. Navy vessel to be named after the Texas city that is home to Naval Air Station Kingsville and is directly tied to the historic King Ranch.

Delivery documents were signed on board the ship March 1 and followed the successful completion of acceptance trials at the end of January during which the ship’s major systems and equipment were tested to demonstrate mission readiness. The ship’s pre-commissioning unit will now prepare the ship for fleet introduction.

“The performance of Kingsville during this trial demonstrates a continuation of the standard of excellence in the LCS class as a whole. We are thrilled by the quality of the ship and the performance of our partners at Austal,” said Jonas Brown, deputy program manager of the Navy’s LCS (PMS 501) program office, who was aboard LCS 36 throughout the trial events.

“The delivery of this ship on time and on budget is representative of the pride and dedication on which Austal USA’s shipbuilders have built their stellar reputation,” said Austal USA’s acting president, Michelle Kruger. “We are excited to provide Kingsville to the Navy to join her sister ships operating in the Pacific providing a critical capability to the fleet.”

Following Kingsville, the future USS Pierre (LCS 38), which is scheduled to be christened later this spring, is the last Independence-variant LCS still under construction at Austal USA

While Austal USA’s Independence-variant LCS program is nearing completion, with just LCS 38 to be delivered, the company is under contract for several additional shipbuilding programs, including the Coast Guard’s Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) and the Navy’s TAGOS-25 Ocean Surveillance ship, 1700-class Landing Craft Utility (LCU), Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF), Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue ship (T-ATS), Expeditionary Medical Ship (EMS), and Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock Medium (AFDM).