The US Navy has allocated $280.5 million for a new round of LCU 1700 landing craft prototypes, with Conrad Shipyard, Master Boat Builders and Saronic Technologies selected to undertake the work. The contracts are intended not only to produce test vessels but also to prepare the participating Gulf Coast shipyards for future large-scale manufacturing. Each company is expected to construct two or three prototype boats under the initial allocation. The effort is being supported by funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and is intended to strengthen US shipbuilding infrastructure, shorten delivery timelines and create parallel industrial supply routes. The first deliveries are planned for late 2028, with the programme continuing into 2029. Capabilities of the LCU 1700At 139 feet (42 metres) long, the LCU 1700 represents the next generation of US Navy landing craft and is intended to replace the legacy 1466, 1610 and 1627 platforms that have been operated since the 1990s. It has been designed to work directly with present-day amphibious ships while offering increased cargo capacity and operational endurance. The landing craft can carry up to 150 tons (136,078 kg) of equipment and supplies, including two M1A1 Abrams tanks. Alternatively, it can transport approximately 400 troops. Its propulsion system consists of two 500-hp diesel engines, giving the vessel a maximum speed of 11 knots (13 mph/20 km/h). The craft has an operational radius of 1,200 nautical miles, equivalent to about 1,380 miles or 2,222 kilometres. For combat and navigation, the LCU 1700 features mounted weapons, modern communications equipment, advanced navigation technology and an integrated combat system. The Navy received the first production example, LCU 1710, from Austal USA in August of the previous year, marking the beginning of the class’s production deliveries.
