Future USS Savannah Passes Acceptance Trials

MarineLink May 28, 2021

Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship the future USS Savannah (LCS 28) constructed by Austal USA has completed acceptance trials (Images: Austal USA)

The U.S. Navy's future USS Savannah (LCS 28) has completed acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico. LCS 28 is the 14th Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) built by Austal USA in Mobile, Ala.

Paddy Gregg, CEO of Austal USA parent company Austal, noted the milestone follows the recent commissioning of the USS Mobile (LCS 26).

“The Austal USA team are quite rightly filled with pride and a collective sense of achievement following the recent commissioning of USS Mobile in their home city, following the vessels delivery in December 2020,” Gregg said. “The successful completion of acceptance trials for Savannah, in the same week as the commissioning of Mobile, clearly demonstrates the capabilities of the Austal USA team to deliver multiple naval ship programs for the U.S. Navy, productively and efficiently.”

Acceptance trials involve the execution of a number of tests by the Austal USA-led industry team while the vessel is underway, demonstrating to the Navy the successful operation of the ship’s major systems and equipment. The trials are the last significant milestone before delivery of the ship, scheduled for late June 2021.

The future USS Savannah will be homeported in San Diego, with 13 other Independence-class LCS.

The Independence-class LCS is a high-speed, shallow-draft surface combatant with an aluminum trimaran hull that provides multimission capability. The ships are designed to defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance along coastal waters. A fast, maneuverable and networked surface-combatant, LCS provides the required warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility to execute surface warfare, mine warfare and anti-submarine warfare missions, the builder said.

Austal USA’s Independence-class LCS program continues at a full rate of production, with four ships currently under construction. The future USS Canberra (LCS 30) is in final assembly and will be christened on June 5, while the USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) is also in final assembly, and fabrication has begun on USS Augusta (LCS 34) and USS Kingsville (LCS 36). The future USS Pierre will commence fabrication later in CY2021.