Austal Begins Construction On Fifth LCU

Austal USA of Mobile recently began construction on its fifth U.S. Navy Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1700-class vessel, LCU 1714. Austal was awarded a $91.5-million contract in September 2023 for the design and construction of up to 12 LCUs and associated support efforts. Currently, it has been awarded five construction contracts. LCU vessels are deployed from the U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault ships and operate across a wide range of missions, transporting U.S. Marine Corps vehicles, equipment and personnel from ship to shore and back. They provide significant heavy-lift capability, carrying payloads comparable to multiple C-17 aircraft. LCU 1710, the first vessel in the program constructed at Austal, recently conducted acceptance trials and will be delivered to the Navy soon. Austal said the program continues to scale as part of its growing steel shipbuilding portfolio.