On July 21, Austal USA delivered the future USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) to the U.S. Navy. LCS 32 is the 16th Independence–variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) delivered by the Austal.
Delivery documents were signed on board the ship and followed the successful completion of acceptance trials during which the ship’s major systems and equipment were tested to demonstrate mission readiness. The ship’s pre-commissioning unit will now prepare the ship for fleet introduction.
“Delivering the future USS Santa Barbara is a proud moment for Austal USA shipbuilders who worked extensively with Navy teammates and suppliers from across the nation to produce a capability that will serve our country for years to come,” remarked Rusty Murdaugh, president of Austal USA. “The fact that we’re delivering that capability on-time and on-schedule demonstrates our commitment to the warfighter and our nation’s defense.”
LCS ships are built to operate in near-shore environments and support forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions. Several Austal USA-built Independence-variant LCS have deployed to the western Pacific within the last year including USS Jackson (LCS 6), USS Tulsa (LCS 16), and USS Charleston (LCS 18).
Austal USA is constructing three LCS including the recently launched future USS Augusta (LCS 34). Final assembly is underway on the future USS Kingsville (LCS 36) and modules are under construction for the future USS Pierre (LCS 38).
About USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32)
USS Santa Barbara (LCS-32) is the third ship named after the city of Santa Barbara located in southwestern California. This ship has a speed of about 4o knots and a range of 4300 nautical miles. This ship is armed with a Mk 110 (57 mm) main gun along with a Evolved SeaRAM 11 cell missile launcher. This ship has a space for missile cells (VLS).
Source: Austal Press Release with additional comments by GDI Naval Wing
