USA the last littoral ship of the class has been put into service independence. He USS Pierre marks the end of a program that has lasted two decades and produced some of the fastest and most versatile surface vessels in the US Navy. The ceremony in which the USS Pierre was formally commissioned (LCS 38) to the fleet as the 19th and final ship of its class took place on November 15 at Naval Support Activity Panama City, Florida.
The USS Pierre, the second Navy ship to be named after the South Dakota capital after a submarine hunter of the Second World Warhas been built by Austal USA in Alabama. The new USS Pierre will be based in San Diego, from where it will support multi-domain threat operations in both coastal and offshore environments.
The only US surface combatant with a trimaran hull
The Independence class are the only US surface combatants to use a trimaran hull designconstructed largely of lightweight aluminum. This design uses three structurally joined hulls between which there are a main hull and two secondary hulls located on both sides and connected by beams or transverse structures.
This configuration of three helmets reduces drag and increases stability at high speeds, as well as allowing the vessel to maintain a reduced draft of just over 4 meters, a key requirement for near-shore missions. This class of ships is characterized by its autonomy and fast maneuverability.
The wide beam provided by the trimaran design also allows for one of the largest flight decks of any surface ship of the United States, only surpassed by that of aircraft carriers and amphibious ships, as well as a large internal mission bay.
The USS Pierre moves about 3,000 metric tons and has 127.4 meters length and 31.7 meters of sleeve. It is powered by a combined system of diesel and gas turbine that activates water jet thrusters and with which it can overcome the 40 knots (74.1 km/h). Its range, at cruising speed, is approximately 4,300 nautical miles (7,964 km).
The versatility of the Independence class
The littoral vessel program was designed to provide platforms fast and modular capable of countering threats such as submarines, mines, and small surface vessels that operate near coastlines. To meet that requirement, the Independence variant was designed around modular mission packages that can be interchanged for anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures and surface warfare.
The ship’s mission bay can accommodate various systems, including semi-rigid boats, unmanned surface vehicles and unmanned underwater vehicles. Helicopters can operate from the deck MH-60 (it has space for two in the hangar) and unmanned aerial systems.
The base crew of the USS Pierre is about 40 peopleto which various specialists are added depending on the configuration of the mission.
The ship’s combat systems include the missile defense platform SeaRAMa cannon Mk 110 of 57mmadvanced sensors and a networked combat system designed to integrate aerial, surface and subsurface data.
He command center It is designed to link with aircraft, unmanned systems, joint forces and allied naval units and share real-time information on objectives and situational awareness.
Over the years the Independence class has been used to testing, training, maritime interdiction operations and experimentation with unmanned systemss.
With the commissioning of the USS Pierre, The Navy closes the chapter on the production of the Independence class. Of the 19 manufactured, two have already been retired (LCS-2 and LCS-4) while the rest are still active or awaiting destination.