Landing Craft Utility

A Landing Craft Utility (LCU) is a type of boat used by amphibious forces to transport equipment and troops to the shore. They are capable of transporting tracked or wheeled vehicles and troops from amphibious assault ships to beachheads or piers.

Dutch and American LCUs in Curaçao, June 2006.

Colombia

Class overview
Name	Golfo de Tribugá class
Builders	COTECMAR
Operators	Colombian National Navy Guatemalan Navy Honduran Navy
Preceded by	LCU-1466-class landing ship utility
In service	2014–present
In commission	2014–present
Completed	8
Active	8
General characteristics
Type	Landing Craft Utility
Displacement	574.6 t (565.5 long tons)
Length	49.0 m (160.8 ft)
Beam	11.0 m (36.1 ft)
Draught	1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)
Propulsion	2 × Caterpillar C18 diesel motors, 412 kW (553 shp)
Speed	8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph)
Range	1,500 nmi (2,800 km) at 8.5 kn (15.7 km/h) 2,500 nmi (4,600 km) at 6 kn (11 km/h)
Endurance	20 days with 51 crew. 40 days with 15 crew.
Capacity	120 t (130 short tons)
Troops	36
Complement	15 (3 officers)

The Golfo de Tribugá-class landing craft is an LCU developed by COTECMAR for the Colombian National Navy. The vessel class is also known as BDA (Spanish: Buque de Desembarco Anfibio) and an unarmored version for logistical and humanitarian services has also been developed, known as BALC (Spanish: Buque de Apoyo Logístico y Cabotaje).

Operators

• Colombian National Navy: 5 in service, 1 on order
• Guatemalan Navy: 1 in service
• Honduran Navy: 2 in service

France

One EDA-R, Bold Alligator 2012.

The Engin de débarquement amphibie rapide (EDA-R) landing catamaran or L-CAT, entered service in January 2011. They can carry a main battle tank like other European LCUs but are capable of much higher speeds, up to 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph).

Germany

Stör
Class overview
Operators	German Navy Hellenic Navy Yemeni Navy
In service	1965–
Completed	22
Active	2
Laid up	3
General characteristics
Type	Landing craft
Displacement	430 tonnes (420 long tons) (full load)
Length	40 m (131 ft 3 in)
Beam	8.8 m (28 ft 10 in)
Draft	2.1 m (6 ft 11 in)
Propulsion	750 kW (1,010 hp)
Speed	11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph)
Capacity	Up to 150 tonnes (150 long tons)
Complement	17
Armament	1 or 2 × Rheinmetall MK 20 Rh 202 20 mm (0.79 in) autocannon Mine laying capability

Germany has two Barbe-class utility landing craft (Type 520), dating from the mid-1960s, which remain in service under the SEK-M Naval Special Forces' command. Five Barbe landing crafts were transferred to Greece at the end of the Cold War.

India

MK.IV LCU (L51) at sea.
Class overview
Name	LCU MK IV class
Builders	GRSE
Operators	Indian Navy
Preceded by	Mk. III LCU
Cost	₹2,100 crore (equivalent to ₹43 billion or US$520 million in 2023)
Built	2011-20
Planned	8
Completed	8
Active	8
General characteristics
Type	Landing craft utility
Displacement	830 t (910 tons) standard 1,001 t (1,103 tons) full load
Length	62.8 m (206 ft)
Beam	11 m (36 ft)
Draught	2.2 m (7 ft 3 in)
Installed power	1,840 kW (2,470 hp) each
Propulsion	2 × MTU 16V 4000 M53 diesel engines Fixed-pitch propellers
Speed	15 kn (28 km/h)
Range	1,500 nmi (2,800 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h)
Troops	160
Complement	56
Sensors and processing systems	SATCOM - LINK II Mod 1 tactical datalink Sanket S passive electronic warfare system ELK 7036 communications intelligence (COMINT) system MiniPOP surveillance system
Armament	2 × 30 mm CRN 91 naval gun 12.7 mm heavy machine guns 7.62 mm machine guns Igla man-portable surface-to-air missiles

India currently has 8 Mk IV class LCU. Last MK IV class of LCU was delivered by GRSE in 2020.

Netherlands

Class overview
Name	LCU Mk.II (NL) class
Operators	Royal Netherlands Navy, Netherlands Marine Corps
Active	5
General characteristics
Type	Ro-Ro landing craft
Displacement	255 tonnes (251 long tons)
Length	36.3 m (119 ft 1 in)
Beam	6.85 m (22 ft 6 in)
Draft	0.85 m (2 ft 9 in) forward, full load 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in) aft, full load
Capacity	65 tonnes (64 long tons)
Complement	7
Armament	2 × Browning .50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine guns

With the launch of the amphibious transport ship HNLMS Rotterdam in 1998 there was a need for LCUs. The Dutch LCUs are similar to the British LCU Mk.10 with the bridge being set to one side allowing for a roll-on roll-off design. Until 2005 the Netherlands Marine Corps used the LCU Mark I (NL).

In 2005 and 2006 the five vessels were modernized to the type Mark II. The vessels have been stretched by 9 meters to decrease their draft, which increased their load carrying capacity by 20 tons and allows them to come closer to shore. In addition they were fitted with a strengthened bow ramp, and they can now accommodate the Royal Netherlands Army Leopard 2 A6 main battle tank. Because of the lengthening of the Mark II, the Rotterdam can take two LCUs (plus three LCVPs) in its dock. The dock of Rotterdam's sister ship, HNLMS Johan de Witt, has the capacity to transport two LCUs, but carries four LCVPs in davits.

Russia

Dyugon

Class overview
Name	Dyugon-class landing craft
Operators	Russian Navy
Completed	5
Active	5
General characteristics
Displacement	280 tonnes (276 long tons)
Length	45 m (148 ft)
Beam	8.6 m (28 ft)
Height	5.1 m (17 ft)
Draft	1.9 m (6.2 ft)
Propulsion	Two M507A-2D diesel engines with 9500 hp each
Speed	35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Range	500 nmi (930 km)
Capacity	120–140 tonnes (132–154 short tons) 3 × T-90 main battle tanks or 5 × BTR-80 Armoured personnel carriers plus 100 marines
Complement	7
Armament	2 KPV 14.5 mm machine guns

The Dyugon-class landing craft are operated by the Russian Navy.

Spain

L-602
Class overview
Name	LCM-1E
Builders	Navantia
Operators	Spain Australia Turkey
Preceded by	LCM-8
Planned	30
Completed	26
Active	24
Retired	2
General characteristics
Type	Roll-on/roll-off landing craft mechanised
Displacement	56.6 tonnes (55.7 long tons) light 110 tonnes (110 long tons; 120 short tons) loaded
Length	23.3 metres (76 ft)
Beam	6.4 metres (21 ft)
Draught	1 metre (3 ft 3 in) loaded
Ramps	Bow ramp and stern gate
Propulsion	2 × MAN D-2842 LE 402X diesel engines (809 kW each) 2 × waterjets
Speed	22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) light 13.5 knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph) loaded
Range	190 nautical miles (350 km; 220 mi) at economic speed
Capacity	1 × main battle tank, or 1 × self-propelled howitzer plus resupply vehicle, or 2 × MOWAG Piranha, or 6 × light tactical vehicles, or 170 personnel with equipment
Complement	4

The Armada has 26 LCM-1E in service since 2001 and has been exported to Australia and Turkey.

Sweden

Class overview
Name	Swedish: Lätt trossbåt
Builders	Djupviks varv
Operators	Swedish Navy United Arab Emirates Navy
Built	1995-
Active	16
General characteristics
Type	Fast landing craft
Displacement	65 tonnes (64 long tons)
Length	24.6 m (80 ft 9 in)
Beam	5.4 m (17 ft 9 in)
Draft	1.1 m (3 ft 7 in)
Propulsion	3 x Scania V8 Water jet (3 x 675 hp)
Speed	25 knots
Troops	18
Armament	1 × 12.7 mm machine gun Mines and depth charges

Sweden operates 16 small and fast (25 kn) water jet landing craft (Swedish: Lätt trossbåt) with a displacement of 65 tonnes. They are armed with one 12.7 mm machine gun but can also lay out mines and are equipped with depth charges for anti submarine warfare. The vessel type has been exported to the United Arab Emirates.

HSwMS Loke (A344) is a larger vessel with a displacement of 305 tonnes, capable of carrying 150 tonnes. The ship has a crew of 7 and is armed with two 7.62 mm machine guns.

United Kingdom

LCU Mk.9 (now retired)
Class overview
Name	Landing Craft Utility
Operators	Royal Navy, Royal Marines
Subclasses	LCU Mk.9 and LCU Mk.10
Active	9 LCU Mk.10s
Retired	LCU Mk.9s
General characteristics LCU Mk.10
Displacement	240 t (240 long tons)
Length	97 ft 10 in (29.82 m)
Beam	25 ft 3 in (7.70 m)
Draught	4 ft 11 in (1.50 m)
Propulsion	2 × MAN D2840 LE diesel engines (400 kW / 2150 r.p.m. each)
Speed	10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Range	600 nautical miles (1,100 km)
Capacity	1 main battle tank, 4 large vehicles, or 120 troops

LCU Mk.9

The LCU Mk.9 was built for use on the LPDs Fearless and Intrepid where they were operated from the dock in the rear of the ships. Each ship carried four LCUs and four davit mounted LCVPs. The Mk.9 was to see many changes and upgrades during its service including a move from propeller to jet in many cases. The Mk.9 was capable of traveling as an ocean-going vessel and a number would be converted into a version, affectionately known as the "Black Pig", for use in Norway. The crew had full living quarters aboard with galley and heads. In the Falklands War during the Bluff Cove Air Attacks LCU F4 from Fearless was bombed and sunk in Choiseul Sound by an Argentine Air Force A-4B Skyhawk of Grupo 5. The Mk.9, like the LPDs, served longer than ever anticipated, providing the backbone of Britain's amphibious assault capabilities.

Three Mk.9s, pennant numbers 701, 705, and 709, remained in service by 2012. However, by 2014, they had all been withdrawn from service.

LCU Mk.10

The LCU Mk.10 class vessels are operated by the Royal Marines. They are intended for use on board the assault ships Albion and Bulwark and can also be used by the Bay class landing ships. Deliveries of the class started from 1998 and the fleet currently consists of nine vessels. Both Albion and Bulwark are capable of carrying four LCUs each. These vessels are capable of operating independently for up to 14 days with a range of 600 nautical miles. They are capable of operating worldwide, from Arctic operating areas to tropical operating areas. The Mk.10 differs greatly from the Mk.9 with the bridge being set to the side allowing for a roll-on roll-off design. This greatly increases efficiency over the old Mk.9 as loading of the rear LCUs can take place without the LCUs being launched, the LPD having to dock down to do so, to change over and load up, which was a problem prior to the Falklands landings. The LCU Mk.10 has a 7-man crew and can carry up to 120 Marines or alternatively 1 battle tank or 4 lorries. British assault ships also carry smaller LCVPs on davits to transport troops and light vehicles.

Ten Mk.10s, pennant numbers 1001 to 1010, were in service as of 2012. In 2023 it was reported that 9 of the craft remained in service.

United States

The United States Navy built 1,394 Landing Craft Tank (LCT) in World War II. Those that were still in use in 1949 were redesignated as Landing Craft Utility (LCU).

Seventy old LCUs (likely ex-LCTs) were retired from amphibious duties and reclassified as Harbor utility craft (YFU).

LCU 1466, 1610 and 1627 classes

LCU-1627
Class overview
Name	LCU 1466, 1610 and 1627 classes
Operators	United States Navy
Active	32
General characteristics
Displacement	see table
Length	see table
Beam	see table
Draft	see table
Propulsion	see table
Speed	see table
Range	see table
Endurance	10 days
Capacity	see table
Troops	see table
Sensors and processing systems	LN 66 or SPS-53 I band navigation radar
Armament	2 × Browning .50 caliber machine guns

The LCU 1466, 1610 and 1627 class vessels are operated by the United States Navy at support commands. They are a self-sustaining craft complete with living accommodations and mess facilities for a crew of thirteen. Each LCU is assigned a non-commissioned-officer-in-charge (Craft Master) who is either a chief petty officer or petty officer first class in the boatswain's mate, quartermaster or operations specialist rating. These vessels have bow ramps for onload/offload and can be linked bow to stern gate to create a temporary pier-like structure. Its welded steel hull provides high durability with deck loads of 3,900 kg/m² (800 pounds per square foot). Arrangement of machinery and equipment has taken into account built-in redundancy in the event of battle damage.

The craft features two engine rooms separated by a watertight bulkhead to permit limited operation in the event that one engine room is disabled. An anchor system is installed on the starboard side aft to assist in retracting from the beach. These vessels are normally transported to their areas of operation onboard larger amphibious vessels such as LSDs, LHDs and LHAs.

Introduction of the larger LCU-1610 class resulted in the US Navy constructing the Anchorage class of Landing Ships, Dock (LSD).

LCU-1618 was converted to support the testing of Remotely operated underwater vehicles and Autonomous underwater vehicles and was given the name USS Orca (IX-508).

The 40-year-old craft will be replaced under LCU 1700 (ex-Surface Connector (X) Recapitalization, or SC(X)R), project starting in 2017.

	LCU 1466	LCU 1610	LCU 1627
Displacement – light	180 long tons (183 t)	172 long tons (175 t)	200 long tons (203 t)
Displacement – full	n/a	353 long tons (359 t)	386 long tons (392 t)
Length overall	115 ft 1 in (35.08 m)	134 ft 9 in (41.07 m)	134 ft 9 in (41.07 m)
Beam	34 ft 0 in (10.36 m)	29 ft 10 in (9.09 m)	29 ft 10 in (9.09 m)
Draft – full load, forward	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	4 ft 10 in (1.47 m)	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Draft – full load, aft	2 ft 9 in (0.84 m)	3 ft 6 in (1.07 m)	3 ft 6 in (1.07 m)
Power – sustained	675 hp (503 kW)	1,000 hp (746 kW)	680 hp (507 kW)
Propulsion	3 x Gray Marine diesel engines	2 x Detroit 12V-71 diesel engines	4 x Detroit diesel engines
Shafts	3	2	2
Speed	8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph)	11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph)	8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph)
Range	1,200 nmi (2,200 km) at 6 kn (11 km/h)	1,200 nmi (2,200 km) at 8 kn (15 km/h)	1,200 nmi (2,200 km) at 6 kn (11 km/h)
Complement	14	14	12–14
Capacity – troops	300	400	350
Capacity – cargo	167 long tons (170 t)	180 long tons (183 t)	125 long tons (127 t)

LCU 2000

Class overview
Name	Runnymede-class large landing craft
Operators	United States Army
General characteristics
Displacement	575 long tons (584 t) light 1,087 long tons (1,104 t) full load
Length	174 ft (53 m)
Beam	42 ft (13 m)
Draft	9 ft (2.7 m) light 8 ft (2.4 m) loaded 4 ft (1.2 m) beaching draft at the bow
Speed	11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Range	10,000 nmi (19,000 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h) light 6,500 nmi (12,000 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h) loaded
Capacity	350 short tons (318 t) (8 C-17 loads) 5 × M1 main battle tanks or 12 × (24 double-stacked) 20-foot (6 m) ISO containers
Complement	13

The Runnymede-class large landing craft or LCU 2000 class vessels are operated by the United States Army. They transport rolling and tracked vehicles, containers, and outsized and general cargo from ships offshore to shore, as well as to areas that cannot be reached by oceangoing vessels (coastal, harbor, and intercoastal waterways). They can be self-deployed or transported aboard a float-on/float-off vessel. They are classed for full ocean service and one-man engine room operations and built to U.S. Coast Guard standards. The vessel can sustain a crew of 2 warrant officers and 11 enlisted personnel for up to 18 days and 10,000 miles. This class is also equipped with an aft anchor to assist in retracting from the beach.

LCU 2008 being loaded as deck cargo on a chartered vessel.

LCU 1700

The LCU 1700-class boats are destined to replace the existing LCU 1610-class of amphibious landing craft on a one-to-one basis. The LCU-1700 is 139 feet long, can reach speeds of 11 knots, has a range of 1,200 nautical miles at 8 knots, and has accommodations for a mixed gender crew of 14. It can carry two M1A1 tanks, or 350 combat troops, or 170 short tons of cargo.

The contract announcement noted that the LCU 1700s will recapitalize the LCU fleet as a similarly rugged steel craft (to the LCU 1610) with a design life of 30 years. The similarities of these two classes of ships will help the U.S. Navy to improve efficiency and reduce cost of the training programs, operations and overall ownership cost. The craft will enter, exit and be transported in well decks of current and programmed U.S. Navy amphibious warfare ships, for design purposes defined by the dimensions of LHD, LPD, LSD and LHA classes without ship alterations, while transporting loads up to 11 feet high above the craft’s vehicle deck. The contract was awarded to Swiftships in 2018 to design and build the prototype and up to 32 vessels. Work was to be performed in Morgan City, Louisiana, and was expected to be completed by November 2023. By 2020, the Navy had ordered six vessels from Swiftships at a total cost of about $95 million. In January 2024, following delays in the scheduled delivery of the first three vessels and continued design changes, the Navy ordered Swiftships to stop work on construction; the contract was terminated entirely the following month.

In September 2023, the Navy awarded Austal USA a $92 million contract to build three LCU 1700 vessels. In August 2024, the Navy ordered two more vessels from Austal for $55 million, with options for seven more remaining.

References

Sources

• Friedman, Norman (2002). U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 1-55750-250-1.

External links

• Royal Marines – Landing Craft (royalnavy.mod.uk)
• U.S. Navy fact sheet