U.S. Navy Deploys Next-Gen LCAC 114 to Boost Amphibious Power and Future Combat Readiness

LCAC 114 during sea trials, showcasing its advanced propulsion and heavy-lift capability as part of the U.S. Navy’s next-generation Ship to Shore Connector fleet.

The introduction of LCAC 114 into the U.S. Navy’s operational fleet is a pivotal development in the long-term transformation of American amphibious capabilities. This air cushion landing craft is part of the Ship to Shore Connector (SSC) program, a modernization effort that serves both strategic and tactical priorities for U.S. maritime forces. While the platform may appear to be a simple logistical tool from the outside, it plays a complex and essential role in how the United States maintains its global presence, assures its allies, and secures its ability to respond to crises rapidly and decisively.

LCAC 114 is the latest in a series of new-generation craft that are replacing the legacy LCACs that have served since the 1980s. Those earlier models were revolutionary in their time, giving the Navy and Marine Corps the ability to land heavy equipment on a beach without a port. However, after more than three decades of service, those craft are nearing the end of their functional lifespan. Their aging propulsion systems, outdated control architecture, and increasing maintenance requirements have reduced their reliability and raised operational costs. In response, the Navy initiated the SSC program, with Textron Systems as the primary contractor, to build a fleet that would not only replace but significantly improve upon the earlier craft in almost every dimension—power, survivability, maintainability, and operational versatility.

At a glance, LCAC 114 is a 92-foot-long and 48-foot-wide aluminum-hulled vessel that travels not through water in the traditional sense, but over it—using a powerful air cushion created by massive fans and flexible skirts. This allows it to “hover” over water, mudflats, sandbars, ice, and onto beaches. The use of air cushion technology provides unmatched access to areas that are impassable by conventional boats or ships. This is particularly important in amphibious warfare, where troops and equipment need to reach shorelines that are often undeveloped, hostile, or intentionally denied by adversaries.

Unlike its predecessors, LCAC 114 is powered by four Rolls-Royce MT7 gas turbines, engines that are also used in the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. These turbines provide higher thrust, better fuel economy, and lower maintenance requirements compared to the older TF40B engines used in the legacy LCAC fleet. This change alone brings significant operational and cost advantages. The increased power allows the new craft to travel at over 35 knots while carrying a full payload, which includes up to 75 tons of cargo—enough to transport an M1A2 Abrams main battle tank, multiple Light Armored Vehicles, or critical supply equipment in a single trip. This high-speed, heavy-lift capacity gives commanders more flexibility and reach in operational planning.

Another significant improvement in the SSC design is its integrated fly-by-wire control system. This digital system replaces the more manual and analog control architecture of the legacy fleet, reducing pilot workload and improving safety, especially in adverse conditions. The system allows for greater maneuverability, tighter control during complex operations, and smoother integration with other naval assets. This technology also supports remote diagnostics and maintenance scheduling, helping crews and support teams address issues before they become mission-critical failures.

LCAC 114 is not designed for peacetime comfort. It is a combat connector, built for contested environments where logistics chains are under threat and where every minute of delay can compromise operational success. In these high-risk conditions, the ability to land troops and equipment quickly and safely is not just a matter of convenience—it’s a matter of force survivability and mission accomplishment. The craft’s ability to transition directly from sea to land, across rough surf zones and unpredictable terrain, gives U.S. forces a logistical and tactical edge that cannot be replicated by conventional landing ships or fixed port infrastructure.

In terms of mission profiles, LCAC 114 is versatile. Its primary role is combat support—delivering heavy assets during amphibious assaults or follow-on operations—but it also serves critical non-combat functions. In disaster relief missions, where port facilities may be destroyed or flooded, the SSC can bring food, water, fuel, and vehicles directly to shorelines. In evacuation scenarios, it can be used to extract civilians or relocate military units under time-sensitive or hazardous conditions. Its flexibility makes it valuable not just in major combat operations but also in smaller-scale contingencies where speed, range, and heavy-lift capacity are required.

From a strategic standpoint, the SSC program aligns with emerging operational concepts such as Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) and Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO). These doctrines emphasize agility, dispersion, and operational unpredictability. Rather than concentrating forces at a few large bases, EABO envisions small, mobile units operating across islands and littorals—supported by assets like LCAC 114. In these scenarios, the SSC becomes a lifeline, enabling rapid resupply, reinforcement, and reconstitution without needing to rely on permanent ports or predictable logistics hubs. Its role is to keep forward-deployed units equipped and mobile, complicating any adversary’s ability to target or contain U.S. forces.

The industrial dimension of the SSC program also deserves attention. Building and delivering these highly specialized craft supports hundreds of skilled workers at Textron’s shipbuilding facilities in New Orleans. These jobs contribute to sustaining the U.S. defense industrial base, which is a strategic asset in itself. The ability to build advanced landing craft domestically, without relying on foreign suppliers or joint manufacturing arrangements, ensures that the United States retains sovereign control over a key part of its force projection capability. In times of increased global tension or open conflict, this becomes a crucial advantage.

LCAC 114 is the eleventh SSC delivered, and the Navy plans to acquire a total of 73 over the course of the program. These deliveries are timed carefully to replace legacy LCACs as they retire, ensuring no gap in operational readiness. Each new craft delivered adds immediate operational value, improves long-term cost efficiency, and ensures continuity in amphibious operations that have been a central feature of American power projection since World War II.

With LCAC 114 now in service, the Navy continues to build momentum in the transition to a more modern, capable, and reliable amphibious connector fleet. The Ship to Shore Connector will remain a vital component of the Navy and Marine Corps team well into the 2030s and beyond. Its design, capabilities, and integration with existing platforms reflect a forward-looking approach to maritime operations—one that anticipates the demands of future conflicts and ensures that U.S. forces remain fast, flexible, and formidable in any environment they enter.