In an extensive milestone for the U.S. Navy, the final Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), USS Pierre (LCS 38), was christened in Mobile, Alabama. This vessel, named after South Dakota’s capital city, marks the nineteenth Independence-variation LCS and the thirty-eighth delivery constructed beneath the U.S. Department of Defense’s LCS application.
The christening rite featured a main address with the aid of Vice Admiral Francis Morley, Principal Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition. Additional remarks were delivered employing extraordinary figures inclusive of U.S. Senator John Thune of South Dakota, Pierre Mayor Steve Harding, Rear Admiral Thomas Anderson, Program Executive Officer for Ships, Austal USA President Michelle Kruger, and General Dynamics Mission Systems Vice President of Program Execution Stan Kordana.
The ship’s sponsor, Larissa Thune Hargens, a South Dakota local and daughter of Senator Thune, performed a pivotal position inside the ceremony. Hargens, who graduated from Bethel University in Minnesota, is likewise the granddaughter of Harold Thune, a distinguished naval fighter pilot and Flying Cross recipient from World War II.
Rear Admiral Kevin Smith, US Navy Unmanned and Small Combatants Program Officer highlighted the significance of the occasion, pointing out,”As we christen the USS Pierre, we also celebrate the extraordinary crews that will sail this ship, employing the capabilities and versatility of the Littoral Combat Ship class, which will continue to play a pivotal role in safeguarding our nation’s interests now and for years to come.”
The LCS application, initiated in the early 2000s, ambitions to enlarge the Navy’s competencies in addressing threats across each open-ocean and close-to-shore theaters. The LCS vessels, measuring 388 to 419 toes depending on the version, are powered via a blended diesel and fuel turbine engine, allowing speeds of more than 40 knots and a variety of three,500 nautical miles. Each ship can accommodate up to seventy-five sailors, helicopters, combating motors, device cargos, and numerous gun structures.
The LCS magnificence includes two editions: the Freedom variation, led by Lockheed Martin, and the Independence version, led by way of Austal USA. The Independence version, characterized by way of its aluminum trimaran design, has been built utilizing Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama, since LCS 6.
The USS Pierre is the second naval vessel to endure the name of South Dakota’s capital. The first Pierre changed into a submarine chaser that served at some stage in World War II and turned into retired within the past due 1950s. The new USS Pierre continues this legacy, embodying the spirit of innovation and excellence in naval shipbuilding.
For extra targeted statistics on the Littoral Combat Ship software, go to the Navy’s official resources.