Austal USA held a keel-laying ceremony for the future USS Pierre, the 19th and final Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship to be built by the Mobile shipbuilder.
The keel-laying represents the beginning of construction of the ship, the LCS 38 that will become the USS Pierre when it is commissioned.
“Keel laying represents a major milestone in the construction of a ship,” said Dave Growden, vice president of new construction at Austal USA. “While every keel-laying we celebrate is special, this one has added significance as it starts to close the line of a highly successful program.”
Austal USA has delivered 17 LCS to the US. Navy since 2009, and most of them have been deployed with the Pacific Fleet. The USS Pierre is planned for delivery in late 2024 and will be based in San Diego, California, along with the other Independence LCS ships that have been delivered to the fleet.