Collins, King Announce U.S. Navy Ship to be Named USS Augusta

Click HERE for a high-resolution image of the future USS Augusta

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Navy will name Littoral Combat Ship 34 the USS Augusta in honor of the Maine state capital. As a state with one of the most veterans per capita and with thousands of skilled workers who build and maintain our Navy’s fleet at Bath Iron Works and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Maine plays a pivotal role in our national security.

            “Maine has a storied history of service in the defense of our nation and our freedoms, and the naming of the USS Augusta reflects the dedication of generations of Maine men and women who have served in uniform and worked in our shipyards,” Senators Collins and King said. “We would like to thank U.S. Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer for recognizing our state’s important contributions to the Navy and to our national security, and we look forward to continuing our close work together to protect the country and strengthen the Maine economy. With the naming of the USS Augusta, Maine is once again proudly ingrained in the annals of American history.”

“It is an honor to name the next Independence variant LCS after the city Augusta,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “From the earliest days of the American Revolution to every conflict since, the citizens of Maine have been an important part of the Navy and Marine Corps team. I am pleased that a future ship will carry on that tradition of service by bearing the name and history of their great capital city.”

Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) are compact surface warships designed to dominate littoral battle space and provide U.S. forces with assured access to coastal areas. The future USS Augusta is being built at Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama.  It is the second vessel named after Augusta, Maine.

Senator Collins is a senior member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and Senator King is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.