Wednesday, January 3, 2018
LCS 14 completes acceptance trials
MOBILE, Ala. - The seventh Independence class Littoral Combat Ship Manchester (LCS 14), built by Austal USA's shipyard in Mobile, completed its acceptance trials Dec. 15 in the Gulf of Mexico. The trials, led by an Austal team, demonstrated successful systems and equipment operations. The trials are the last significant milestone before delivery to the sea-service in early 2018. LCS 14 is the fourth Austal-built Navy ship to reach the milestone in 2017, according to Austal USA President Craig Percivalle. Overall, the Gulf Coast shipyard has delivered six Independence-variant LCS. There are other Navy ships under construction at Austal: Tulsa (LCS 16), Charleston (LCS 18) and Cincinnati (LCS 20) are preparing for sea trials; final assembly is under way on Kansas City (LCS 22) and Oakland (LCS 24); and the first aluminum has been cut on the future USS Mobile (LCS 26). Austal also recently received new construction contracts for LCS 28 and 30, two of the three LCS awarded in FY 2017. (Source: Seapower Magazine 01/02/18)