Landing Craft Air Cushion

LCAC
A US Navy LCAC maneuvers to enter the well deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge
Type	Landing Craft
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1986–present
Production history
Manufacturer	Textron Marine and Land Systems Avondale Gulfport Marine
Unit cost	$27 million (1996) ~$41 million (2015)
No. built	91
Specifications
Weight	182 long tons (185 t) full load
Length	87 feet 11 inches (26.4 meters)
Width	47 feet (14.3 meters)
Crew	5
Main armament	two 12.7 mm (.50 in) machine guns. Gun mounts will support: M2HB .50 in cal machine gun; Mk 19 Mod 3 40 mm grenade launcher; M60 machine gun. Tests conducted with GAU-13 30 mm gatling gun.
Engine	4 gas turbines
Payload capacity	60 tons (up to 75 tons in an overload condition)(54/68 metric tons)
Operational range	200 nmi at 40 kt (370 km at 75 km/h) with payload 300 nmi at 35 kt (550 km at 65 km/h)with payload
Speed	40+ knots (46+ mph; 74 km/h) with full load, 70+ knots maximum speed

The Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) is a class of air-cushion vehicle (hovercraft) used as landing craft by the United States Navy's Assault Craft Units 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.

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 were 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 Bell SK-5 / SR.N5 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. The JEFF A was later modified for Arctic use and deployed in Prudhoe Bay to support offshore oil drilling.

The first 33 were included in the FY82-86 defense budgets, 15 in FY89, 12 each in FY90, FY91 and FY92, while seven were included in FY93. 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.

On June 29, 1987, LCAC was granted approval for full production. Forty-eight air-cushion landing craft were authorized and appropriated through FY 89. Lockheed Shipbuilding Company was competitively selected as a second source. The FY 1990 budget request included $219.3 million for nine craft. The FY 1991 request included full funding for 12 LCACs and advance procurement in support of the FY 1992 program (which was intended to be nine craft). The remaining 24 were funded in FY92.