Austal launches 12th littoral combat ship Oakland (LCS 24)

Austal USA has launched the US Navy’s 12th Independence-variant littoral combat ship Oakland (LCS 24) at its Mobile, Alabama, shipyard.

The ship was launched on July 21 and is scheduled for delivery next year.

The future USS Oakland is one of 19 Independence-variant LCSs that will join the fleet.

Four additional LCSs are under various stages of construction at Austal’s Alabama shipyard. The future USS Kansas City (LCS 22) is preparing for sea trials. The future USS Mobile (LCS 26), Savannah (LCS 28) and Canberra (LCS 30) are under construction, and Austal has four more LCSs under contract.

Oakland honors the long-standing history its namesake city has with the navy. It will be the third naval ship to bear the city’s name.

The first, commissioned in 1918, was largely used to transport cargo. The second USS Oakland was commissioned in 1942 during the height of World War II. While in service for just seven years, it was key in many antiaircraft missions in places such as Pearl Harbor, Marshall Islands, Pagan, Guam, Iwo Jima, Rota, Peleliu and Okinawa. After the war, Oakland performed two duty patrols off the coast of China before being decommissioned.

The Freedom variant and the Independence variant are designed and built by two industry teams. The Freedom variant team is led by Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Marinette, Wisconsin, and the Independence variant team is led by Austal USA.