Navy Austal USA launches USS Canberra LCS 30

[Isa Khan]

According to information published by Austal USA on April 2, 2021, the firm launched USS Canberra into the Mobile River. This is the first Navy ship that Austal has launched in 2021 and the first one to launch from Austal's recently acquired drydock. USS Canberra is an Independence-class littoral combat ship (LCS), one of 19 that the Navy has contracted Austal to build. The next step is sea trials and then delivery.

The Independence-variant LCS (Littoral Combat Ship) is a high-speed, shallow-draft, focused-mission ship capable of operating independently or in a group. These ships are designed to defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance along coastal waters, yet capable of open-ocean operation. A fast, maneuverable and networked surface-combatant, LCS provides the required warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility to execute focused missions such as surface warfare, mine warfare and anti-submarine warfare. USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) recently completed a successful deployment with the Pacific fleet and ten other Independence-variant LCS are homeported in San Diego.

The LCS program is at full-rate production and continuing its momentum at Austal USA.

The Independence-class is an aluminum trimaran design originally built by an industry team led by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works for LCS 2 and LCS 4. the ship is powered by a combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) propulsion system including two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, two MTU Friedrichshafen 20V 8000 Series diesel engines, and two American VULKAN lightweight multiple-section carbon fiber propulsion shaftlines. She can reach a top speed of 44 knots (51 mph; 81 km/h) with a maximum cruising range of 4,300 nautical miles (7,964 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h).

The Independence-class LCS has a length of 127m, a beam of 32 m, and a displacement of 2,307 metric tons. The maximum endurance of the ship is 14 days.

The Independence-class LCS is armed with one BAE Systems Mk 110 57 mm naval gun, one Raytheon SeaRAM CIWS CloseIn Weapon System, four .50-cal machine guns, two 30 mm Mk44 Bushmaster II automatic cannons (part of SUW module), eight RGM-184A anti-ship Naval Strike Missiles, 24 AGM-114L Hellfire air-to-surface missiles (SUW vertical launch module). The ship can accommodate 1 MH-60R/S Seahawk naval helicopter as well as two MQ-8B Fire Scouts or one MQ-8C Fire Scout helicopter VTOL drones.

Austal USA launches USS Canberra LCS 30

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