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 | 97 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 182 long tons (185 t) full load |
| Length | 87 feet 11 inches (26.80 meters) |
| Width | 47 feet (14 meters) |
| Crew | 5 |
Main armament | Two M240B machine guns. Gun mounts will support: Mk 19 Mod 3 40 mm grenade launcher. |
| Engine | 4 Avco Lycoming TF40B, (4,390 hp; 3,270 kW) each |
| Payload capacity | 60 short tons (up to 75 short tons in an overload condition)(54/68 metric tons) |
Operational range | 200 nmi at 40 kn (370 km at 75 km/h) without payload 300 nmi at 35 kn (550 km at 65 km/h) without payload |
| Maximum 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-cushioned landing craft (hovercraft) used by the United States Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). They transport weapons systems, equipment, cargo and personnel from ship to shore and across the beach. It is to be replaced in US service by the Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC).