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LCU 1700 Landing Craft Utility (LCU)
Surface Connector (X) Replacement (SC(X)R)

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.

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.

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.

The LCU, the displacement craft component of the Navy’s landing craft fleet, complements the LCAC by transporting the heaviest loads of equipment and supplies ashore while providing the ability to operate independently in support of intra-theater transport, security cooperation, non-combatant evacuation, foreign humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief operations. LCUs have both bow and stern ramps for onload/offload and are capable of conducting independent open ocean transits or operations at sea for up to 1200nm or 10 days.

The LCU enables the Marine Corps to transport heavy loads of equipment and supplies ashore while providing the ability to operate independently in support of intra-theater transport, security cooperation, non-combatant evacuation, foreign humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief operations.

The Surface Connector (X) Replacement will recapitalize the capabilities provided by the long-serving LCU-1610 craft. SC(X)R will be a self-sustaining craft complete with living accommodations and messing facilities for the crew to enable persistent operations for up to ten days or intra-theater transit of up to 1,200 nautical miles. Like the venerable LCU, the SC(X)R will provide operational flexibility and a level of persistence no other asset smaller than an amphibious warfare ship provides to the operational commander. Carrying equipment, troops, and supplies in any variation up to its maximum capacity of 170 tons, the SC(X)R will launch from a well deck-equipped amphibious warfare ship, transit to the surf zone, and land vehicles and cargo to provide organic mobility for naval forces from the sea base to the shore. The SC(X)R is intended to address the gap in heavy sea-to-shore lift that will emerge as a result of the advanced age and long service of the LCU-1610 craft.

The SC(X)R/LCU 1700 completed the Navy Requirements/ Acquisition Gate Review 1 in 2013. The analysis of alternatives to identify the suitable candidates to replace the LCU-1610 was completed in May 2014 and approved in September 2014. Navy Gate 2 was completed in October 2014, and the capability development document was approved and validated in July 2016.

In May 2016 Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc., Panama City, FL, reported that it had been selected to complete a Design Study and Analysis for the Landing Craft, Utility (LCU) 1700 by the U.S. Navy. Eastern teamed with Vard Marine Inc. for the study and analysis and will spend the next 100 days addressing technical solutions for the future LCU 1700 to support the program goal of providing all the capabilities required in the most cost-effective manner. With a track record of 149 vessels built on-time and on-budget since 2002, Eastern says it believes it is “the best shipyard to produce the vessels which will cost effectively fulfill the United States Navy’s Mission.”

Eastern said its location in Northwest Florida is “the perfect place for construction of the LCU 1700. Bay and surrounding counties have a strong tradition of supporting the military and are honored to have bases located here for three branches of the Armed Forces, including the U.S. Navy.”

The Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1700 program requested one craft in FY 2018 ($32 million). 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. The LCU 1700 program team employed exceptional innovation and perseverance to overcome traditional issues and challenges, and they created a unique opportunity for small business where none previously existed, ultimately awarding a critical Navy shipbuilding contract to a Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Small Business entity.

On 02 April 2020 Swiftships LLC, Morgan City, Louisiana, was awarded a $50,144,904 fixed-price incentive-firm target modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-18-C-2401 to exercise an option for the construction of four Landing Craft Utility (LCU) transportation boats (1703 through 1706). Work will be performed in Morgan City, Louisiana. The LCU 1700 will replace the existing LCU 1610 class of amphibious landing craft on a one for one basis. LCU 1700 will be a similarly rugged steel craft which will recapitalize the LCU 1610 capabilities and has a design life of 30 years. LCU 1700 craft will be a highly reliable and fuel efficient, heavy-lift platform with complementary capabilities to the faster air cushion landing craft which have a significantly shorter range, smaller payload capacity, no habitability and operating hour limitations. Work is expected to be complete by October 2022. Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion, (Navy) funding in the amount of $50,144,904 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-18-C-2401).