U.S. Navy Completes Two Decades of Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship with USS Pierre Delivery.

According to information published by the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), on July 11, 2025, the service has officially taken delivery of the future USS Pierre (LCS 38) from Austal USA’s shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. This marks a historic milestone as Pierre becomes the 19th and final vessel of the Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) class, concluding over two decades of a sustained and complex shipbuilding effort involving U.S. Navy leadership, industrial partners, and acquisition teams.
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The future USS Pierre (LCS 38) conducts sea trials in Mobile, Alabama, in June 2025. Pierre is the 19th and final ship, marking the completion of the Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) construction phase. (Picture source: Austal USA)

The Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship is a high-speed, shallow-draft, modular warship based on an all-aluminum trimaran hull, offering enhanced stability and increased flight deck space. Each vessel measures approximately 127 meters in length, with a displacement of around 3,200 metric tons. Powered by a combined diesel and gas turbine propulsion system with waterjets, it can reach speeds exceeding 40 knots (74 km/h) and has a range of 4,300 nautical miles (7,963 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h). The ship’s modular design allows rapid integration of mission packages tailored for surface warfare (SUW), mine countermeasures (MCM), or anti-submarine warfare (ASW). It is equipped with a 57mm Mk 110 main gun, Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launcher for point defense, and multiple .50 caliber machine guns. Its large flight deck and hangar support MH-60R/S helicopters and unmanned aerial systems such as the MQ-8 Fire Scout. The Independence variant’s open-architecture combat system and reconfigurable mission bay offer significant flexibility fo

The USS Pierre distinguished itself by earning the highest measured quality score of any LCS vessel over the past 15 years during its acceptance trials conducted in early June. This exceptional performance reflects the culmination of technical refinement, industry learning curves, and integrated programmatic improvements achieved throughout the lifecycle of the Independence-variant. Designed for agility and versatility in near-shore and littoral operations, the Pierre embodies the LCS program’s legacy of pushing boundaries in naval design, modularity, and mission flexibility.

Captain Matthew Lehmann, LCS Program Office Manager, highlighted the symbolic significance of this final delivery, emphasizing that while the construction phase ends, the operational story of the LCS fleet continues. “The LCS represents a bold vision for a more agile and adaptable Navy,” Lehmann stated, pointing to evolving operational doctrines that increasingly integrate unmanned technologies and modular mission packages into LCS deployments.

Upon commissioning this fall, USS Pierre will join the U.S. Pacific Fleet with its homeport in San Diego, California. From there, it will contribute to the Navy’s strategic forward presence, ensuring maritime security and deterrence across high-priority theaters. The ship is expected to serve as a vital component of U.S. naval power projection, equipped to counter contemporary asymmetric threats and contribute to joint force operations.

Melissa Kirkendall, Acting Program Executive Officer for Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC), underlined the industrial impact of the LCS program. She described Pierre not merely as a milestone but as a testament to the revitalization of America’s mid-tier shipbuilding base. “The legacy of Pierre and her sister ships is the vibrant shipbuilding industrial base now constructing the Navy’s next-generation warships,” she noted, reinforcing the strategic value of the LCS program beyond its immediate platform contributions.

The Littoral Combat Ship class, split between the trimaran-hull Independence variant and the monohull Freedom variant, has been designed for speed, shallow-draft access, and mission adaptability. It is equipped to execute anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures, and surface warfare operations, while integrating seamlessly with larger surface combatants in complex naval task forces. The conclusion of the Independence-class construction marks a transition phase in which the Navy leverages the lessons learned to inform future small surface combatant designs and next-generation unmanned maritime capabilities.

As the curtain falls on the Independence-variant production line, the delivery of USS Pierre signals both the end of a groundbreaking shipbuilding era and the beginning of a new operational chapter. The capabilities, technologies, and industrial momentum generated by this program will continue to shape the U.S. Navy’s modernization pathway and its strategic ability to maintain maritime superiority in an increasingly contested global environment.