Image Library: Vessel Exteriors

The Navy's first trimaran Littoral Combat Ship, the future USS Independence (LCS 2), during Builder's Sea Trials in the Gulf of Mexico July 2009. LCS is a fast, agile, focused-mission ship designed to defeat asymmetric "anti-access" threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft.

LCS-2 USS Independence was commissioned in Mobile, AL, USA on January 16, 2010. US Navy photos of this event are available at http://www.navy.mil/view_gallery.asp?category_id=122. This photo shows the trimaran during sea trials in 2009.

The Navy's first trimaran Littoral Combat Ship, the future USS Independence (LCS 2), began Builder's Sea Trials in the Gulf of Mexico July 2, 2009. LCS is a fast, agile, focused-mission ship designed to defeat asymmetric "anti-access" threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. The 417-foot Independence is designed and built by the General Dynamics Littoral Combat Ship team. Builder's trials test the vessel's propulsion, communications, navigation and core mission systems, as well as all related support systems. Following the completion of builder's trials, Independence will prepare for acceptance trials that will be conducted by the U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey later this summer. Independence will be outfitted with reconfigurable payloads, called mission packages, which can be changed out quickly. These mission packages focus on three mission areas: mine counter measures, surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare. LCS 2 is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy later this year and will be homeported in San Diego, Calif

Virtu Ferries 107 metre vehicle-passenger catamaran, "Jean de la Valette" during sea trials.