US Navy accepts future USS Charleston
The US Navy has accepted delivery of the eighth Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) the future USS Charleston during a ceremony at the Austal USA shipyard on 31 August.
Charleston is the 16th LCS to be delivered to the navy.
The modular, reconfigurable Independence variant ships have a trimaran hull and a large flight deck, and have been designed to perform critical warfare mission including anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare and mine warfare missions in the littoral region.
Using an open architecture design, modular weapons, sensor systems and a variety of manned and unmanned vehicles to gain, sustain and exploit littoral maritime supremacy, LCS provides the US joint force access to critical theaters.
Following commissioning, Charleston will be homeported in San Diego.
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