Austal christens 'Independence'

Austal USA’s 127-metre trimaran Littoral Combat Ship, LCS 2 ‘Independence’, has been christened in front of over 1,000 guests and dignitaries during an official ceremony held at its Mobile, Alabama shipyard.

The General Dynamics LCS Team, within which Austal is ship designer and builder, christened the state-of-the-art combat ship on October 4 on the waters of Mobile Bay, with Austal USA’s recently launched 113-metre catamaran built for Hawaii Superferry alongside. Speakers at the Christening Ceremony included Secretary of the US Navy, the Honourable Donald Winter, who commented on the importance of the vessel to the Navy’s future defence efforts. “USS ‘Independence’ will play a pioneering role in our Nation’s effort to protect our interests and to ensure the stability of the global economy,” Secretary Winter said. The LCS 2 is the first ship built by Austal USA for the US Navy and the Navy’s first trimaran Littoral Combat Ship. It is the first naval warship constructed in Mobile, Alabama since World War II. Since its keel laying in January 2006, ‘Independence’ has steadily progressed within Austal USA’s purpose built construction facility in Mobile, Alabama, toward becoming a formidable warship. The christening ceremony offered the shipbuilder the opportunity to display the progress made thus far to over 1,000 participants. The 127-metre Austal trimaran seaframe is the platform for the LCS’s mission and weapon systems.
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