Keel laying ceremony for Independence-class LCS Kingsville


According to information published by Austal on February 24, 2022, the company holds keel-laying for the future Independence-class littoral combat ship Kingsville.
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Russian Vyborg Shipyard laid the Purga ice class coastguard ship of project 23550 925 001 Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship USS Kingsville (Picture source: Austal)


USS Kingsville (LCS-36) will be an Independence-class littoral combat ship of the United States Navy. Kingsville is currently being built in Mobile, Alabama by Austal USA.

The Independence-class vessels are 127.4 m (418 ft) long, with a beam of 31.6 m (104 ft), and a draft of 13 ft (3.96 m). Their displacement is rated at 2,377 tons light, 3,228 tons full, and 851 tons deadweight.

The Independence-class LCS is armed with one BAE Systems Mk 110 57 mm naval gun, one Raytheon SeaRAM CIWS CloseIn Weapon System, four .50-cal machine guns, two 30 mm Mk44 Bushmaster II automatic cannons (part of SUW module), eight RGM-184A anti-ship Naval Strike Missiles, 24 AGM-114L Hellfire air-to-surface missiles (SUW vertical launch module).

The ship can accommodate 1 MH-60R/S Seahawk naval helicopter as well as two MQ-8B Fire Scouts or one MQ-8C Fire Scout helicopter VTOL drones.