LCS can be deployed to support focused mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare missions. Credit: Austal.

The US Navy’s future Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Cincinnati (LCS 20), built by Austal, has successfully completed acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico.

The completion of the acceptance trials, which represents the last major milestone prior to the delivery and the subsequent commissioning of the vessel, comes after a series of in-port and underway demonstrations for the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey.

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Under the trials, the Navy subjected the LCS to comprehensive tests to demonstrate the performance of the propulsion plant, ship-handling, and auxiliary systems.

LCS program manager captain Mike Taylor said: “I can’t say enough about the positive results achieved by the Navy and industry team during these acceptance trials of the future USS Cincinnati.

“She’s well into her journey to be delivered to the Navy this summer and will provide needed and cost-effective warfighting capability to the fleet and the nation.”

"She’s well into her journey to be delivered to the Navy this summer and will provide needed and cost-effective warfighting capability to the fleet and the nation."

USS Cincinnati is set to become the tenth Independence-class LCS to be homeported in San Diego, joining USS Independence (LCS 2), USS Coronado (LCS 4), USS Jackson (LCS 6), USS Montgomery (LCS 8), USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), USS Omaha (LCS 12), USS Manchester (LCS 14), the future USS Tulsa (LCS 16) and the future USS Charleston (LCS 18).

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Austal is building four additional Independence-variant ships for the Navy at its Mobile, Alabama facility.

In addition, the company will construct the future USS Canberra (LCS 30), Santa Barbara (LCS 32), Augusta (LCS 34), Kingsville (LCS 36) and Pierre (LCS 38).

Last month, Austal won a $16.3m contract to deliver post-delivery availability work on LCS 20.

Designed to support focused mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare missions, LCS comprises two variants, the Independence-class and the Freedom-class, built by two separate industry teams.

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