Textron Systems team wins US Navy SSC contract

Textron Marine & Land Systems (TM&LS) has announced in a 9 July 2012 statement that its team has been selected by the US Navy for the Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC) programme. The SSC will replace the Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC), providing a modernised means for the US Navy and Marine Corps to land at more than 80 percent of the world's shorelines for the next 30 years.

The fixed-priced, incentive-fee contract, worth approximately $213 million is for the detailed design and construction of an initial SSC Test and Training Craft with work to be completed by February 2017. According to the company, the contract includes options for up to eight production craft to be delivered by 2020 worth a total potential value of $570 million.

With its amphibious lift requirement, SSC will provide the surface assault portion of the US Joint Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare tactical plan with the capability to project and sustain military operations from the sea, independent of tides, water depth, underwater obstacles, or beach gradient.

The Textron team includes Alcoa Defense and command, control and navigation systems industry leader L-3 Communications, and was formed ‘to deliver to the US Navy the lowest risk SSC — a highly capable, high performing vessel delivered within budget, at weight and on schedule, and maintained for its entire service life. Our experienced team is eager to get to work building air cushion vehicles once again in our shipyard and supporting the US Navy in every way we can,’ a TM&LS spokesperson said.