LCAC

Infobox Aviation
name = LCAC



caption = A US Navy LCAC maneuvers to enter the well deck of the amphibious assault ship USS "Kearsarge"

The Landing Craft, Air Cushioned (LCAC) is a class of air-cushion vehicle/hovercraft used as landing craft by the United States Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). They transport weapons systems, equipment, cargo and personnel of the assault elements of the Marine Air/Ground Task Force both from ship to shore and across the beach.

Design and development

Concept Design of the present day LCAC began in the early 1970s with the full-scale Amphibious Assault Landing Craft (AALC) test vehicle. During the advanced development stage, two prototypes where built. JEFF A was designed and built by Aerojet General in California, with four rotating ducted propellers. JEFF B was designed and built by Bell Aerospace in New Orleans, Louisiana. JEFF B had two ducted rear propellers similar to the proposed SK-10 which was derived from the previous SK-5 / SRN.5 hovercraft tested in Vietnam. These two craft confirmed the technical feasibility and operational capability that ultimately led to the production of LCAC. JEFF B was selected as the design basis for today’s LCAC. [http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=1500&ct=4 LCAC U.S. Navy Fact File] ]

The first LCAC was delivered to the Navy in 1984 and Initial Operational Capability (IOC) was achieved in 1986. Approval for full production was granted in 1987. After an initial 15-craft competitive production contract was awarded to each of two companies, Textron Marine & Land Systems (TMLS) of New Orleans, La, and Avondale Gulfport Marine, TMLS was selected to build the remaining craft. A total of ninety-one LCAC have now been built. The final craft, LCAC 91, was delivered to the U.S. Navy in 2001. This craft served as the basis for the Navy’s LCAC Service Life Extension Program (SLEP).

LCAC first deployed in 1987 aboard USS|Germantown|LSD-42. LCAC are transported in and operate from all the U.S. Navy's amphibious-well deck ships including LHA, LHD, LSD and LPD. All of the planned 91 craft have been delivered to the Navy. A Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) is currently in progress to add service life to the craft design life of 10 years, delaying the need to replace these versatile craft. A number of LCACs are currently under development and testing at the Naval Support Activity Panama City in Panama City, Florida.

The craft operates with a crew of five. In addition to beach landing, LCAC provides personnel transport, evacuation support, lane breaching, mine countermeasure operations, and Marine and Special Warfare equipment delivery. The four main engines are all used for lift and all used for main propulsion. They are interchangeable for redundancy.

Operators

;JPN
* Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

;USA
* United States Navy
**Assault Craft Unit 4
**Assault Craft Unit 5

pecifications (LCAC 1)

:Source: LCAC U.S. Navy Fact File

*Builder: Textron Marine and Land Systems/Avondale Gulfport Marine.
*Date Deployed: 1982.
*Propulsion:
** Legacy: 4-Allied-Signal TF-40B gas turbines (2 for propulsion / 2 for lift); 16,000 hp sustained; 2-shrouded reversible pitch airscrews; 4-double-entry fans, centrifugal or mixed flow (lift)
** SLEP: 4–Vericor Power Systems ETF-40B gas turbines with Full Authority Digital Engine Control
*Length: 87 feet 11 inches (26.4 meters).
*Beam: 47 feet (14.3 meters).
*Displacement: 87.2 tons (88.6 metric tons) light; 170–182 tons (173–185 metric tons) full load.
*Speed: 70+ knots max Verify source|date=September 2008; 40+ (46+ mph; 74 km/h) with full load.
*Range: 200 miles at 40 kt (370 km at 75 km/h) with payload
300 miles at 35 kt (550 km at 65 km/h)with payload.
*Crew: Five.
*Load: 60 tons/75 ton overload (54/68 metric tons)
*Military lift: 24 troops or 1 MBT.
*Armament: two 12.7 mm machine guns. Gun mounts will support: M-2HB .50 cal machine gun; Mk-19 Mod3 40 mm grenade launcher; M-60 machine gun.

References

ee also

* Air-cushioned landing craft
* Zubr class LCAC

External links

* [http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=1500&ct=4 LCAC U.S. Navy Fact File]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/features/nato/us/lcac/ LCAC (Landing Craft Air Cushion) page on hazegray.org]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/lcac-specs.htm LCAC specifications on GlobalSecurity.org]
* [http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/lcac.htm LCAC page on Fas.org]