GD LCS Team Delivers Independence and Lays Keel for Coronado

(Mobile, Ala., December 18, 2009) -- The General Dynamics Littoral Combat Ship Team today delivered Independence (LCS 2), its innovative high-speed trimaran combatant ship, to the United States Navy. The ship was constructed by team member Austal USA in Mobile. The delivery of Independence was preceded by the keel laying of its sister ship, Coronado (LCS 4), on Thursday, December 17.

Captain Dean Krestos, USN, Commanding Officer Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Bath, Maine, officially accepted custody of Independence (LCS 2), the Navy's first warship configured with a trimaran hull form. After signing the custody transfer documentation, Captain Krestos noted, "It gives me great pleasure, on behalf of the United States Navy, to accept delivery of the LCS-2, Independence, bringing to the fleet the second ship of this exciting new class of surface combatants."


A brief ceremony was conducted at Austal USA Headquarters to commemorate the ship's delivery. Those present included RDML James Murdoch, USN, the Navy's Littoral Combat Ship program manager; CDR Curt Renshaw and CDR Mike Riley, the ship's Blue and Gold Crew Commanding Officers; Jim Baskerville, vice president of the LCS Program for General Dynamics Bath Iron Works; Bob Browning, Austal Managing Director; Joe Rella, Austal USA President and Chief Operating Officer; and other Navy and General Dynamics LCS Team representatives.

RDML Murdoch, speaking on behalf of the Navy, praised the combined efforts of the Navy / industry team in delivering LCS 2 and the characteristics of the ship itself.

Speaking for the entire General Dynamics LCS Team, Baskerville said, "Delivering Independence is a significant accomplishment for our team. Today, we provide the Navy with a new and highly capable warship equipped with extraordinary aviation features, large payload capacity and an open architecture computing environment for future missions - all contained within an extremely fast, stable and efficient trimaran hull form to support the Navy's needs today and tomorrow. We've designed Independence to fight - and we've built it to win."

Independence (LCS 2) will remain in Mobile, Ala., awaiting its commissioning on January 16, 2010, marking the first time a Navy ship has been commissioned in the city since 1945. After commissioning, the Navy will operate the ship in preparation for the ship's next set of trials in the summer of 2010.

Source : General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE: GD)