Next Austal LCS: Charleston

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus was in Charleston, S.C., on Jan. 9 to announce the Navy’s next Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) will be named USS Charleston. It will be the sixth Navy ship to bear the name for the Palmetto State city. The newest USS Charleston will be an Independence Class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS 18) that is to be built on the Gulf Coast at Austal USA Shipyards in Mobile, Ala. The 418-foot long, 104-foot wide trimaran hull ship is eexpected to be delivered to the Navy in 2017. Charleston has had a long history of Navy shipyard work; and Charleston Marine Container Inc. builds mission modules for today’s LCS program. (Sources: Charleston City Paper and WNCT-Greenville, NC 01/09/15)