The following is text of a news release from Austal USA:
(MOBILE, Ala.) — Austal on Monday delivered its eighth Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) to the U.S. Navy. The future USS Tulsa (LCS 16) is the second Austal designed and built LCS delivered to the Navy this year and will be the 13th LCS to enter the fleet.
Tulsa’s delivery precedes the future USS Manchester (LCS 14) commissioning, which will take place in New Hampshire at the end of May.
Five LCS remain under construction at Austal’s Alabama shipyard. Charleston (LCS 18) is preparing for sea trials. Assembly is underway on Cincinnati (LCS 20) and Kansas City (LCS 22), and modules for Oakland (LCS 24) and Mobile (LCS 26) are under construction. Construction on LCS 28, recently named Savannah, is to begin later this year.
Austal is also under contract to build 12 expeditionary fast transport vessels (EPFs) for the U.S. Navy. The company has delivered nine EPFs while an additional three are in various stages of construction.
