SeaWaves Magazine

Austal has successfully launched its landmark 127 metre Littoral Combat Ship INDEPENDENCE (LCS 2) in what proved a momentous occasion for the company as it celebrates its 20^th year. 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 April 26th rollout was a significant step along the way to achieving that goal. The launch procedure involved coordination of all large shipping traffic in the Mobile River while INDEPENDENCE was rolled out of the construction hall on sixty-six 100 ton rail-trolleys onto a floating drydock. The 127 metre Austal trimaran seaframe is the platform for the LCS’s mission and weapon systems. This seaframe provides superior seakeeping and aviation as a result of its long, slender central hull and smaller side hulls (“amahs”). The trimaran hullform provides a large internal mission deck with a high payload carrying capacity. Located above the mission bay is the enormous flight deck capable of conducting dual H-60 helicopter operations and accommodating the US Navy’s largest helicopter, an H-53, a feature not available on similar size naval warships. The vertical location of the flight deck on the trimaran hull form provides the highest flight deck elevation on a combatant ship other than a major amphibious vessel or aircraft carrier. INDEPENDENCE will be moored alongside the Austal USA facility while the activation and testing of combat and other onboard systems is completed. Sea trials are expected to commence in late 2008.