USN orders five additional LCU 1700 craft
LCU 1700 landing craft. (Photo: Swiftships)
Swiftships is building five more Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1700 class craft for the USN, after receiving a $59.28 million contract modification from Naval Sea Systems Command.
Work on LCU 1707 to LCU 1711 will be completed by November 2023, the DoD announced on 7 May.
The original LCU 1700 contract for Swiftships in 2018 included options for the construction of up to 31 craft to replace the LCU 1610 class, with the last delivery expected in 2027.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, craft in the LCU 1700 class are each 42.4m long with a beam of 9.4m, a draught of 1.3m and a full load displacement of 434.9t.
Powered by two diesel propulsion with Kort nozzles providing 500hp sustained with twin shafts, the craft have a maximum speed of 11kt and a range of 1200nmi at 8kt with a crew of 13.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1700 [USN]
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
Australia is ramping up its uncrewed surface fleet as Sea Archer lines up for key requirement
As advances in uncrewed technology increasingly shape Australia’s maritime future, Shephard spoke with the country’s head of navy capability and a Leidos Australia executive about the operational advantages behind the shift.
-
What does Saab’s operations shake-up mean for its new ‘Naval’ chapter?
Saab’s merger of its Kockums and Naval Combat Systems divisions into a single business area called Naval, effective 1 April 2026, aims to enhance efficiency, innovation and competitive positioning in the naval sector.
-
Iran and the future of amphibious operations: crewed and uncrewed solutions
Amphibious operations are a very unique type of military operation, and global defence industries are developing new solutions to enhance capabilities and efficiency.
-
US Navy to acquire and test uncrewed surface vessel prototypes by the end of FY2026
The new autonomous surface vessels are planned to be operationally fielded in FY2027, following the completion of on-water trials.
-
Hanwha Ocean and TKMS are firming up their Canadian next-gen submarine proposals
CPSP competitors are proposing platforms fitted with advanced, next-generation capabilities to be built and sustained in cooperation with the Canadian industry.