The US Navy has awarded $280.5 million in prototyping contracts to Conrad Shipyard, Master Boat Builders, and Saronic Technologies as part of its LCU 1700-class landing craft program.
Under the initial funding, each Gulf Coast shipbuilder will construct two or three prototype vessels while also refining manufacturing processes and production capabilities for future high-rate construction. The effort, funded through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, uses federal prototype authorities to strengthen US shipbuilding capacity, accelerate the delivery of littoral landing craft, and establish parallel production and supply chains.
Deliveries under the contracts are expected to begin in late 2028 and continue through 2029.
US Navy LCU 1700 Landing Craft
The 139-foot (42-meter) LCU 1700 is being developed to replace the Navy’s legacy 1466, 1610, and 1627 landing craft, which have been in service since the 1990s.
The new landing craft provides greater payload capacity, extended operational range, and compatibility with the Navy’s current amphibious warfare ships. It can transport up to 150 tons (136,078 kilograms) of cargo, including two M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks or as many as 400 personnel.
Powered by two 500-horsepower diesel engines, the LCU 1700 can reach speeds of approximately 11 knots (13 mph/20 km/h) and operate across a radius of up to 1,200 nautical miles (1,380 miles/2,222 kilometers).
The vessel is equipped with mounted weapons, an integrated communications suite, advanced navigation systems, and a combat management system to support amphibious operations.
In August 2025, the US Navy received its first production LCU 1700 vessel, LCU 1710, from Austal USA.
