Canberra is an Independence-class littoral combat ship (LCS), one of 19 that the US Navy has contracted Austal to build. The next step is sea trials and then delivery. It will be the 30th LCS overall for the U.S. Navy.
The keel laying of LCS 30 took place on March 10, 2020 in presence of the Hon Marise Payne, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs.
LCS is a fast, agile, focused-mission platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric “anti-access” threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. The Independence-class LCS integrates new technology and capability to support current and future mission capability from deep water to the littorals.
