US Navy names 38th littoral combat ship USS Pierre

The US Navy’s next Independence-variant littoral combat ship will be named USS Pierre (LCS 38), the Secretary of the Navy has announced.

The future USS Pierre (LCS 38) is named in honor of the capital city of South Dakota and is the second ship to bear the name.

“I am proud to name a future Independence-variant LCS after the capital city of South Dakota,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “The citizens of Pierre and the entire state of South Dakota have a great history of service in the Navy and Marine Corps team, and that legacy will live on in the future USS Pierre.”

The future USS Pierre will be built by Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama. This ship will be 419 foot-long, with a beam length of 104 feet and capable of operating at speeds in excess of 40 knots.

The Navy has accepted delivery of 17 littoral combat ships (LCSs). Including the recent contract modifications, a total of 35 LCSs have been procured with 11 ships under construction (LCS 17, 19-26) and seven more ships in pre-construction stage (LCS 29 – 32, 34, 36, 38).