Textron Systems awarded $230M Navy contract for SSC hovercrafts

Textron Systems has been awarded a $230 million contract by the U.S. Navy to produce two Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC) craft, also referred to as LCAC-100 class air cushion landing craft. The production and delivery of these vessels will take place at the company’s shipyard in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The SSCs are designed to modernize the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps' amphibious capabilities, replacing the legacy Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) models that have been in service for over three decades. These next-generation hovercrafts utilize an air cushion to navigate diverse terrains, including sea, beaches, marshes, mud, and ice. According to the Navy and Textron Systems, these platforms can access approximately 80% of the world’s coastlines.

While similar in appearance to previous models, the SSCs feature significant technological upgrades, sharing only about 1% of components with the legacy platforms. The new craft include enhanced payload capacity, increased speed—reaching up to 35 knots—and improved power through four turbines. To date, Textron Systems has delivered 18 craft to the Navy, with 13 more currently in various stages of testing and production.