Construction on the US Navy’s sixth littoral combat ship, the future USS Jackson (LCS 6), has begun at Austal’s modular manufacturing facility in Alabama, US.

LCS programme executive officer (PEO LCS) Rear Admiral James Murdoch said, “Production of LCS 6 marks another significant milestone in the programme, and demonstrates the efficiency benefits of our ‘block buy’ arrangements with the shipbuilders.”

The LCS is a fast, agile and networked surface combatant designed to ensure US maritime dominance and access for the joint force.

The modular, focused-mission design of the ships allows combatant commanders to provide operational flexibility as per warfighting capabilities.

The ships will be used to perform focused-mission packages involving deployment of manned and unmanned vehicles to execute missions.