Textron awarded contract to build landing craft, air cushion (LCAC) 100 class craft.

Textron is awarded a $386,280,994 fixed-price-incentive-firm-target and firm-fixed-price modification to a definitized, previously-awarded letter contract (N00024-17-C-2480) for the construction of landing craft, air cushion (LCAC) 100 Class Craft 109 through 123. Work will be performed in New Orleans, Louisiana (80%); Camden, New Jersey (8%); Cincinnati, Ohio (8%); and Gloucester, United Kingdom (4%).

A landing craft air cushion (LCAC) vehicle prepares to enter the well deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25) (Picture source: U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Vladimir Ramos/Released)

The Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC) Program is the functional replacement of 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 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. SSC provides increased performance to handle current and future missions, as well as improvements, which will increase craft availability and reduce total ownership cost.

Work is expected to be complete by January 2025. Fiscal 2017 shipbuilding and conversion (SCN) (Navy) funding in the amount of $8,168,067; fiscal 2018 SCN funding in the amount of $236,986,570; fiscal 2019 SCN funding in the amount of $198,693,525; and fiscal 2020 SCN funding in the amount of $50,800,000 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.