Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Augusta (LCS 34) was commissioned at Eastport, Maine on Sept. 30.
Augusta is the 17th Independence-variant LCS commissioned in the United States Navy, and the second U.S. Navy ship to bear this namesake.
USS Manchester (LCS 14), USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), USS Mobile (LCS 26), and USS Oakland (LCS 24) are deployed to Commander, 7th Fleet area of operations under Destroyer Squadron 7. USS Jackson (LCS 6) is currently deployed and is supporting Pacific Partnership, the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific.
The trimaran Independence-variant littoral combat ships are built by Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama.
Two Freedom-variant LCS decommissioned
In addition, the US Navy retired two Freedom-variant littoral combat ships last week. USS Detroit (LCS 7) and USS Little Rock (LCS 9) were decommissioned Sept. 29, 2023, at Naval Station Mayport, Florida. USS Detroit was commissioned in 2016 and served in the U.S. Navy for 7 years; USS Little Rock was commissioned in 2017 and served for 6 years.
According to Chris Cavas, Little Rock was in the US 4th Fleet as recently at late August, while Deroit was deployed as recently as two weeks ago.
The U.S. Navy decommissioned six surface combatants this month, including the four Ticonderoga-class cruisers USS Champlain, USS San Jacinto, USS Bunker Hill, and USS Mobile Bay, as well as the two littoral combat ships, in accordance with fiscal year 2023 plans.
Freedom-variant littoral combat ships are built by Fincantieri in Marinette, Wisconsin and are typically homeported in Mayport, Florida.
