US
Navy awards mod contract to Textron to build new LCAC 101 ship to shore
connector (SSC)
The U.S. Navy awarded on August 28 2014 a $21,9 million modification
to a previously awarded contract for the construction of Landing Craft,
Air Cushion (LCAC) 101 of the ship-to-shore connector (SSC) program.
The SSC program is the functional replacement for the existing fleet
of LCAC vehicles, which are nearing the end of their service life. It
is an air cushion vehicle designed for a 30-year service life.
The SSC is an evolutionary replacement for the current Landing Craft,
Air Cushioned (LCAC) vehicle, and benefits from more than 20 years of
lessons learned from LCAC operations and maintenance. (Picture:
Textron)
The SSC mission is to land surface assault elements
in support of operational maneuver from the sea, at over-the-horizon
distances, while operating from amphibious ships and mobile landing
platforms.
The SSC program will significantly enhance the Navy and Marine Corps
team’s capability to execute a broad spectrum of missions well
into the 21st century, from humanitarian assistance and disaster response
to multidimensional amphibious assault. Deliveries will begin in fiscal
2017 with initial operational capability projected for fiscal 2020.
(Video:
Textron)
The SSC will be a high-speed, fully amphibious landing
craft with a 30-year service life capable of carrying a 74-ton payload
that can travel at speeds of more than 35 knots, day or night. Ship-to-Shore
Connector supports rapid movement of Marine Expeditionary Forces from
the sea base to shore and can tactically deliver personnel and heavy
equipment to trafficable terrain well beyond the beach with the built-in
reliability to operate in the harshest littoral environments.
Ship-to-Shore Connector will also bring improved technology and increased
performance to handle current and future missions, plus better fuel
efficiency and reduced maintenance through existing shore-based infrastructure.
The Navy-led contract design, released to industry in a full and open
competition, allowed for mid-tier builders without air-cushioned vehicle
experience to compete for the detail design and construction contract.
This approach uses the government’s expertise in air-cushioned
vehicles and provides industry with the flexibility to make component
selections and complete design details for optimal producibility and
lowest possible acquisition costs.
