Feb. 1 (UPI) -- The next Independence-variant littoral combat ship will be named in honor of Augusta, the capital of Maine, Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer announced.
The ship, LCS 34, will be the sixth vessel to bear the name USS Augusta, the Navy said in a news release Thursday.
"It is an honor to name the next Independence variant LCS after the city Augusta," Spencer said in a statement. "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."
The future USS Augusta will be built in Mobile, Ala., by Austal USA. The Navy awarded Austal a contract for construction of the vessel last September.
The Augusta is among seven littoral combat ships in pre-construction with 11 others under construction.
The Navy has accepted 17 littoral combat ships. The first one commissioned was the USS Independence in 2010. The Augusta will be 419 feet long and capable of operating at speeds in excess of 40 knots.
LCS can perform in littorals -- along a shore -- and in deepwater.
The Navy says the LCS is a highly maneuverable, lethal and adaptable ship that is designed to support focused mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare missions.
