Landing Craft, Mechanized and Utility - LCM/LCU

Last updated: 17 Jan 2019

Point of Contact
PAE Maritime
Strategic Communications

Humphreys Building, 2E-3620

1333 Isaac Hull Ave, Washington, DC 20376

PAE Maritime
202-781-0693

Description
Mechanized and utility landing craft are rugged, steel displacement vessels used by amphibious forces to transport equipment and troops from ship to the shore, along the shore, and from shore back to the amphibious warships. Landing craft are also used to support civilian humanitarian/maritime operations.

Features
Landing craft are capable of transporting cargo, tracked and/or wheeled vehicles and troops from amphibious assault ships to suitable beachheads or piers. LCMs have a bow ramp for onload/offload. LCUs have both bow and stern ramps for onload/offload and have the ability to operate independently at sea for up to 10 days. A temporary causeway can be created by several LCUs connected bow to stern to support roll-through offload to the shore. LCUs are heavy lift craft and have over twice the payload and six times the range of air cushion type landing craft.

Persian Gulf (Feb. 28, 2005) U.S. Marines and Sailors, assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), return to the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) aboard Landing Craft Utility 1627 (LCU 1627). The 31st MEU spent five months in Iraq conducting combat operations. Essex is forward deployed from Sasebo, Japan, and will be making the transit home once the 31st MEU backload is complete.

Gulf of Mexico (Aug. 31. 2005) Sailors stationed aboard the Landing Craft Mechanized One Nine (LCM 19) assigned to Assault Craft Unit Two (ACU 2) man the rails as they prepare to embark aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga (LSD 46) in support of Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts. The Navy's involvement in the humanitarian assistance operations is led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in conjunction with the Department of Defense. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist Brian Seymour (RELEASED)

Pacific Ocean (July 20, 2004) -- A Landing Craft Utility (LCU) assigned to Assault Craft Unit One (ACU-1) inbound with embarked U.S. Marines from 3rd Marine Regiment during amphibious assault training in support of exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2004. RIMPAC is the largest international maritime exercise in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands. This year's exercise includes seven participating nations; Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. RIMPAC is intended to enhance the tactical proficiency of participating units in a wide array of combined operations at sea, while enhancing stability in the Pacific Rim region. U. S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class David A. Levy

Background
The use of landing craft in amphibious assault dates from World War II. The craft are carried aboard amphibious assault ships to the objective area. Landing craft are used across the range of military operations to deliver vehicles, personnel and cargo from the sea to the shore and from shore to shore. LCUs are also used to support Building Partnership missions, to provide dive team or small boat support, to assist in port clearing, to conduct limited surveillance and to support many other missions enabled by their intratheater range and independent operations capability.

Program Status
The contract for the detail design and construction of the LCU 1700 class was awarded to Swiftships, LLC on 30 March 2018. Detail design of the craft is in progress. The LCU 1700 class will replace the existing 32 LCU 1610 craft on a one for one basis.

General Characteristics, LCU 1610, 1627, 1646 and 1680 Classes (referred to as the LCU 1610 Class)

Propulsion: 2- Detroit 12V-71 Diesel engines, twin shaft, 680 hp sustained, Kort nozzles

Length: 134 feet, 9 inches (41.1 meters)

Beam: 29 feet, 10 inches (9.1 meters)

Displacement: 200 long tons (203.21 metric tons) light; 432.3 tons (386 long, 392.2 metric) max displacement

Speed: 11 kts (12.7 mph, 20.3 kph)

Range: 1200 nautical miles at 8 knots

Crew: 13

Load: 140 tons (125 long, 127 metric)
Military Lift: M1A1 tanks (1), LAVs (6) or 350 troops; or 400 persons or 140 short tons of cargo (125 long tons or 127 metric tons)

Armament: 2 - 12.7mm MGs, 2 - 7.62mm MGs

Electronics: Furuno Radar Navigation; C4I up-grade under development

General Characteristics, LCM 8 Type Class

Propulsion: 2- Detroit 12V-71 Diesel engines, 450hp sustained, twin shafts

Length: 73.7 feet (22.5 meters)

Beam: 21 feet (6.4 meters)

Displacement: 128 long tons (116 metric tons) full load

Speed: 10 kts (11.5 mph, 18.5 kph)

Range: 400 nautical miles at 9 kts

Crew: 3

Load: Military Lift: 2-HMMWVs or 1 Bulldozer or 1-Stryker Combat Vehicle, or 1- MTVR or 100 troops or 60 short tons of cargo (53.6 long tons or 54.4 metric tons)

General Characteristics, LCM 6 Type Class

Propulsion: 2- Detroit 6-71 Diesel engines, 348 hp sustained, twin shaft, or 2- Detroit 8V-71 Diesel engines, 460 hp sustained, twin shaft

Length: 56.2 feet (17.1 meters)

Beam: 14 feet (4.3 meters)

Displacement: 64 long tons (65.03 metric tons) full load

Speed: 9 kts (10.3 mph, 16.6 kph)

Range: 130 nautical miles at 9 knots

Crew: 5

Load: Military Lift: 38.1 short tons of cargo (34 long tons or 34.55 metric tons) or 80 troops

General Characteristics, General Characteristics of the future LCU 1700 Class (Notional)

Propulsion: 2 - Diesel propulsion with Kort nozzles, 500 hp sustained; twin shaft

Length: approximately 139 feet (42.4 meters)

Beam: approximately 31 feet (9.4 meters)

Displacement: approximately 428 long tons (434.9 metric tons) at full load

Speed: 11 knots (12.7 mph, 20.3 kph)

Range: 1200 nautical miles at 8 knots

Crew: 13

Load: Military Lift: M1A1 tanks (2), or 350 combat troops, or 400 persons, or 170 short tons of cargo (151.8 long tons or 154.2 metric tons)

Armament: mounts for four crew served weapons

Electronics: commercial navigation radar; military communications suite; Amphibious Assault Direction System

Point of Contact
PAE Maritime
Strategic Communications

Humphreys Building, 2E-3620

1333 Isaac Hull Ave, Washington, DC 20376

PAE Maritime
202-781-0693

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