The US Navy is sailing into a new era with the USS Pierre (LCS 38), the final ship in the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program—a fleet born from a vision of fast, versatile vessels but shadowed by operational challenges and cutbacks.

Taking place at manufacturer Austal’s shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, on 18 May, the USS Pierre is the 19th and last of the Independence-class LCS vessels, which when conceived in the mid-2000s along with the Freedom-class variant, were intended to offer the US Navy a new multirole warship and fill the gap of the departed Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigates (FFG).

South Dakota U.S. Senator John Thune says the USS Pierre is as much about the next generation as it is about protecting the current generation.

John and Kimberly Thune’s youngest daughter, Larissa Thune Hargens, is the sponsor of the USS Pierre.

The next stage for the USS Pierre is the sea trials, which take about one year to complete. Providing she successfully complete the sea trials, the Commissioning– or when the ship officially goes on active duty– is scheduled for 2025.

Pierre Mayor Steve Harding attended the festivities and said it’s an honor for South Dakota’s capitol city to have a ship named after it.

The Navy’s Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship USS Pierre (LCS 38) is 419 feet long and capable of operating at speeds of over 46mph (40+ knots).

It is a highly maneuverable, lethal and adaptable ship, designed to support focused mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare missions.

The LCS class consists of two variants, Freedom and Independence, designed and built by two separate industry teams.

The Independence-variant LCS is led by Austal USA and is recognisable for their unique trimaran design and even-numbered hulls.

According to the US Navy, the Independence variant is an aluminum trimaran design originally built by an industry team led by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works for LCS 2 and LCS 4. Currently, Independence variant LCS (LCS 6 and subsequent even-numbered hulls) are constructed by Austal USA in the company’s Mobile, Alabama shipyard.

The procurement of the LCS programme was planned to see the introduction of 52 vessels split evenly between the two variants, but this was continuously scaled back before settling somewhat on a 32-ship fleet.

However, even this reduced ambition was unable to be met, with the US Navy currently operating 25 LCS (11 Freedom class and 14 Independence class) in its fleet, with at least two Independence class and two Freedom class due to be decommissioned later in 2024, or else sold to foreign buyers.

Earlier this year the final Freedom-class LCS, USS Cleveland (LCS 31), was provided its ship’s crest and will be the last of the 16 Freedom class warships.

The USS Pierre’s Keel Laying, or the official start of the shipbuilding process, happened last summer (June 16, 2023) in Alabama. Representatives from the company building the ship spent some time in March (March 26, 2024) to get some insight about the place the ship is named for.

Relevant articles:
– US Navy LCS programme reaches end of road with USS Pierre, Naval Technology
– Littoral Combat Ship Class – LCS, navy.mil
– Last Independence Littoral Combat Ship, USNI News
– USS Pierre (LCS38) begins sea trials in preparation for joining U.S. Naval fleet next year, DRGNews