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NavSource Online: Littoral Warship Photo Archive

Ship's patch courtesy of
Don McGrogan,
BMCS, USN (Ret.)

Augusta (LCS 34)

Specifications - LCS Littoral Combat Ship, Independence Class (Variant 2, Flight 0, first generation):
Hull Type: Stabilized Trimaran Monohull
Displacement: 2176 tons (light), 2784 tons (full)
Dead Weight: 608 tons
Length: 418' (oa)
Beam: 93.2' (extreme)
Draft: 13' (Maximum Navigational Draft)
Propulsion: Two gas turbine engines, two propulsion diesels, two waterjets
Speed: 47 kts (sprint), 50+ kts (top speed)
Armament: Bofors 57mm naval gun; Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launcher; 4 - .50 caliber machine gun mounts
Combat Management System: Northrup Grumman ICMS
Electronics: Ericsson Sea Giraffe (air / surface surveillance, weapon assignment);
Decoy System: 3 - Super RBOC; 2 - Nulka Decoy launchers
Complement: 26

Augusta (LCS 34) Building and Operational Data:

21 September 2018: Contract Awarded to General Dynamics Corp.

11 January 2019: Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer announced that the next Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship will be named USS Augusta (LCS 34)

13 April 2020: Construction commenced with the "First Cut" ceremony at Austal USA shipyard, Mobile, Ala.

30 July 2020: Keel-laying ceremony held; keel authenticated remotely by sponsor Leigh Ingalls Saufley, dean, University of Maine School of Law, former Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Court

23 May 2022: Launched without ceremony

12 May 2023: The U.S. Navy accepted delivery in a short ceremony held aboard while in Mobile, Ala.

30 September 2023: Commissioned at Eastport, Me., Cmdr. Christopher Polnaszek in command, assigned to LCS Squadron 1 at San Diego, Cal.

Note:
1.) The contract option awarded to Lockheed Martin Corporation is managed by Lockheed Martin's Maritime Systems and Sensors division in Moorestown NJ. The Lockheed Martin team includes: Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard, Bollinger Shipyards, Gibbs and Cox naval architects, Izar of Spain and Blohm & Voss naval shipbuilders.

2.) The contract option awarded to General Dynamics is managed by Bath Iron Works at Bath, Me. The major members of General Dynamics team are: Austal USA, based in Mobile, Ala.; BAE Systems, Rockville, Md; Maritime Applied Physics Corporation, Baltimore, Md; CAE Marine Systems, Leesburg, Va.; Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, Baltimore, Md; General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, Burlington, Vt.; General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Conn.; General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Washington, D.C.; and General Dynamics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.

"Augusta, The Ship" - "Augusta, The People"

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By And/Or Copyright
1502001a	102k	27 May 2004: Washington D.C. – The U.S. Navy announced today that General Dynamics - Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, will be one of two defense contracting teams awarded contract options for final system design with options for detail design and construction of up to two Flight 0 Littoral Combat Ships (LCS). The LCS is an entirely new breed of U.S. Navy warship. A fast, agile, and networked surface combatant, LCS's modular, focused-mission design will provide Combatant Commanders the required warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility to ensure maritime dominance and access for the joint force. LCS will operate with focused-mission packages that deploy manned and unmanned vehicles to execute missions including, Special Operations Forces (SOF) support, high-speed transit, Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO), Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), and Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP). (Artist concept provided to the U.S. Navy courtesy of General Dynamics, Photo #040527-O-0000G-004, from the Navy Newstand)	Mike Smolinski Clifton, N.J. Navsource DE/FF/LCS Archive Manager
1502001b	492k	undated: Mobile, Ala. – An aerial view of the Austal USA shipyard, the American branch of operations for Australian shipbuilder Austal. Founded in 1999 along the west bank of Blakely Island on the Mobile River in Mobile, Alabama. The shipyard was initially engaged in building high-speed aluminum ferries, such as the *Lake Express* for service across Lake Michigan, and the *Alakai* for Hawaii Superferry. Construction on the first Littoral Combat Ship of the USS *Independence* variant was begun in 2006. In conjunction with the General Dynamics Corp., all of the planned Independence Class LCS's will be built here. (Photo courtesy of AUSTAL, USA)
1.) 149k 2.) 129k 3.) 213k 13 April 2020: Mobile, Ala. – The laying of a ship's keel usually signifies the begining of construction, but since the LCS is built in modular form, construction begins long before the official keel laying of the ship. Personnel from the U.S. Navy and Austal USA shipbuilding start the computerized machinery to cut the first sheet of aluminum that will be used in *Augusta's construction. After the ceremony each participant is given an engraved aluminum disk to commemorate the occasion. (© Photos courtesy of* Austal USA) 1.) (1534001) 2.) (1534002) 3.) (1534003)
1.) 453k 2.) 128k 3.) 382k 30 July 2020: Mobile, Ala. – The ship’s sponsor Leigh Ingalls Saufley was unavailable for the ceremony and authenticated the keel remotely for the 17th Independence variant of the littoral combat ship class. While keel laying traditionally represents the formal start of a ship's construction, advanced modular shipbuilding allows fabrication of the ship to begin months in advance. Today, keel laying continues to symbolically recognize the joining of the ship's components and the ceremonial beginning of the ship. (© Photos courtesy of Austal USA) 1.) (1534004) 2.) (1534005) 3.) (1534006)
1.) 414k 2.) 581k 3.) 671k 4.) 528k 5.) 325k 6.) 376k 19 May 2022: Mobile, Ala. - Six views of the future USS *Augusta* showing her on 19 May, being rolled out of the fabricating shed where she was constructed. She was towed down river on the barge and placed into a drydock. The morning of 23 May, the drydock was sunk, and she was launched and towed back to the fitting out shed at Austal's yard. (© Photos courtesy of Austal USA) 1.) (1534007) 2.) (1534008) 3.) (1534009) 5.) (1534010) 6.) (1534011) 7.) (1534012)