Landing Craft Utility

Operators

•  Colombian National Navy: 5 in service, 1 on order
•  Guatemalan Navy: 1 in service^[2]
•  Honduran Navy: 2 in service^[3]

Dyugon

Quick Facts Class overview, General characteristics ...

Class overview
Name	Dyugon-class landing craft
Operators	Russian Navy
Completed	5
Active	5
General characteristics [8]
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 9000 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

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

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.^[10] 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.^[11] 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Mk.9s, pennant numbers 701, 705, and 709, remained in service by 2012.^[10][12] However, by 2014, they had all been withdrawn from service.^[13]

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.^[12] In 2023 it was reported that 9 of the craft remained in service.^[14]

LCU 1466, 1610 and 1627 classes

Quick Facts Class overview, General characteristics ...

LCU-1627
Class overview
Name	LCU 1466, 1610 and 1627 classes
Operators	United States Navy
Active	32[15]
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[15]
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

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The LCU 1466, 1610 and 1627 class vessels are operated by the United States Navy at support commands.^[16][17] They are a self-sustaining craft complete with living accommodations and mess facilities for a crew of thirteen.^[15] 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).^[18]

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).^[19]

The 40-year-old craft will be replaced under LCU 1700^[20] (ex-Surface Connector (X) Recapitalization, or SC(X)R), project starting in 2017.^[15]

LCU 2000

Quick Facts Class overview, General characteristics ...

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

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The Runnymede-class large landing craft or LCU 2000 class vessels are operated by the United States Army.^[22][23] 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 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.^[24]

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.^[25] 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.^[26] 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.^[27][28] By 2020, the Navy had ordered six vessels from Swiftships at a total cost of about $95 million.^[29] 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.^[29]

In September 2023, the Navy awarded Austal USA a $92 million contract to build three LCU 1700 vessels.^[30] In August 2024, the Navy ordered two more vessels from Austal for $55 million, with options for seven more remaining.^[31]