The US Navy took delivery of its newest ship to shore connector (SSC) landing craft air cushion (LCAC), LCAC 109, from Textron Systems Corporation of New Orleans.
The LCAC 100-class SSCs are built with similar configurations, dimensions, and clearances to the navy's legacy LCACs to ensure their compatibility with existing well deck-equipped amphibious ships as well as the Expeditionary Transfer Docks of the Military Sealift Command.
Like their predecessors, these hovercraft were designed specifically for the transport of the ground combat elements of the US Marine Corps between the navy's larger, deep-draught amphibious ships and unprepared beaches. Secondary missions will include humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR).
LCAC 109, the tenth SSC, has an LOA of 92 feet (28 metres), a beam of 48 feet (15 metres), a height of 26 feet (7.9 metres), and a four-strong crew consisting of a pilot, a co-pilot, a loadmaster, and a deck engineer. The craft's massive open deck has a total area of 1,608 square feet (149 square metres) and can accommodate a maximum of 67 tonnes of assorted loads consisting of vehicles and heavy equipment.
Separate from the cargo deck is an enclosed personnel transport module that can house 145 combat-equipped troops or 108 casualty victims.
