LCU Replacement in Preliminary Design, Anticipating 2022 Fleet Debut - USNI News: The Navy is doing preliminary design work on its Landing Craft Utility (LCU) replacement now to begin construction within about three years, in time to support one-for-one replacement on the surface connectors in 2022.
The LCUs were first built in 1959, and the 32 craft still in service average more than 43 years old – well over the 25 years of service life they were built for, Capt. Chris Mercer, amphibious warfare program manager at Naval Sea Systems Command, said at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space 2015 Exposition last week.
“We spend a lot of money keeping these things running. A lot of structural repairs, a lot of machinery repairs, and it’s time to invest in new,” he said.
Director of expeditionary warfare Maj. Gen. Robert Walsh echoed that sentiment during a different presentation at the conference, saying “we put them in drydock, and it costs a significant amount of money and we’re losing capability. For example on the LCUs, we used to be able to carry two tanks. Just this last summer we reduced that capability down to one tank.”
