The U.S. Navy has commissioned the last warship of the 19th and Independence class, USS Pierre (LCS 38). The ceremony was held on November 15 in Panama City, Florida.
The ship was added to the Navy’s inventory with a ceremony held on November 15 in Panama City, Florida. Speaking at the ceremony, U.S. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan emphasized that the commissioning of USS Pierre is an important milestone for the Fleet, reflecting the strength of American shipbuilding and the nation’s commitment to national defense.
LCS Program: From Economic Transformation to Strategic Change
After the end of the Cold War, the U.S. Navy underwent a strategic transformation. The goal shifted from a 600-ship fleet to a leaner structure of 300 ships. During this period, the Navy turned toward ship designs suitable for peacetime conditions and capable of responding to lower-scale/asymmetric conflicts in a more economical manner.
For these new missions, the Navy focused on two separate Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) classes—Independence and Freedom—which were particularly suitable for operating in environments close to the shoreline. American shipyards, which traditionally focused on large-tonnage aircraft carrier groups, also shifted toward this relatively smaller and multi-mission ship type.
The Final Ship: The Closing of a Doctrine
However, geopolitical and military strategies that changed around the mid-2010s affected the future of the LCS program. These ships, which were planned to be produced in high numbers, ended up being manufactured only at the minimum expected level.
The Navy gradually abandoned this littoral-focused doctrine and returned to a blue-water strategy. Beginning in 2020, some of the ships in this class were decommissioned and began to be marketed to friendly and allied nations.
The USS Pierre (LCS 38) stands as the final ship of this program, representing this strategic shift and marking the end of the LCS concept as it was originally planned and implemented.
Source: C4Defence / US Navy
