The vessels are designed and built by the Australian company's American subsidiary in Mobile, Alabama, and Austal CEO David Singleton congratulated Austal USA for achieving this critical program milestone.

Acceptance trials involve comprehensive testing by an Austal USA-led industry team to demonstrate to the US Navy that the ship's major systems and equipment are operational, and is the last significant milestone before the delivery of a vessel.

LCS 22 is the third ship delivered to the US Navy by Austal USA this year.

Austal is contracted to deliver 19 littoral combat ships for the US Navy, with 10 delivered since 2010, five currently under construction and four scheduled for construction, with USS Charleston commissioned in March 2019.

The LCS is a high-speed, agile, multi-mission combatant, with the Independence variant open ocean capable but designed to "defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance in the coastal water battlespace".

The vessel is designed for critical missions including mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare.