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Families and friends welcome the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Augusta (LCS 34) as it arrives at Naval Station San Diego following six months of operations in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations, June 11, 2026. While deployed, Augusta was the first ship to integrate U.S. Navy aviation assets, Aerosonde Uncrewed Aerial Systems, and a U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Law Enforcement Detachment on the same platform to enable multi-domain operations. Augusta is a fast, optimally manned, mission-tailored surface combatant that operates in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. LCS, like Augusta, integrate with joint, combined, manned and unmanned teams to support forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions around the globe. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kassandra Alanis)