Littoral combat ship USS Savannah delivered to U.S. Navy

June 28 (UPI) -- The littoral combat ship USS Savannah has been officially delivered to the U.S. Navy, builder Austal USA announced on Monday.

The arrival of the Independence-class variant, previously known as LCS 28, makes the littoral combat ship program the Navy's second-largest, behind construction of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

In 2019, three LCSs were delivered, followed by four more in 2020. Another four are planned for delivery in 2021.

The ship was christened in August 2020 at the Austal USA shipyards in Mobile, Ala.

The USS Savannah successfully concluded acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico on May 14, the final step in testing the ship before it was formally delivered to the Navy.

System trials included main propulsion, auxiliaries and electrical systems, a full-power demonstration, steering and quick reversal, anchor drop test and combat system detect-to-engage sequence.

Following its commissioning, the USS Savannah will be homeported in San Diego.

"It has been especially rewarding to hear the very positive feedback from the Navy commanders and sailors on how well these ships are performing operationally, especially in the in the South China Sea where they are conducting routine patrols," Rusty Murdaugh, Austal USA interim president, said in a press release.

Littoral combat ships are a "fast, agile, focused-mission platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation," according to the company.

At about 422 feet in length, Freedom- and Independence-class LCS vessels are relatively small, but carry helicopters as well as Mk 110 57 mm guns and RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles as armaments.