Images(2)

Littoral Combat Ship

Date2005

Object number00054856

NameModel

MediumPlastic

DimensionsOverall: 360 × 110 × 240 mm

ClassificationsModels

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Austal

Collections

Model ships

Terms

DescriptionModel of an Austal aluminium trimaran based Littoral Combat Ship in 1:150 scale.HistoryThe 127m long LCS was designed by Western Australian company Austal in 2005. The design is based on an aluminium trimaran seaframe developed by the company for commercial vessels and redeveloped for navy use. (The aluminium wave piercing tri-maran technology relates to innovative Australian wave piercing catamarans designed by (NZ born) Philip Hercus and Tasmanian Robert Clifford around 1984). The keel of a prototype (now LCS2, USS Independence, delivered 2009) was laid at Austal's USA shipyards at Mobile Alabama, USA, on 19 January 2006. Based on the success of the design, Austal won a contract to build 9 more LCS vessels for the USN between 2009 and 2016. These vessels are being closely compared with 10 new Littoral Combat Vessels based on traditional single hull designs commissioned by the USN at the same time. The LCS has greater manoeuvrability, is faster (81km per hour), has shorter deployment times, and a larger helicopter deck and hangar than existing larger destroyers and cruisers.SignificanceThis model represents a significant change to the design and construction of naval defence vessels in the early 21st century, and is a contemporary example of Australia/USA maritime cultural exchange in naval architecture, science and technology.