US Navy tests next-gen hovercraft capable of carrying Abrams Tank

The US Navy’s next-generation landing craft completed well deck interoperability testing recently, demonstrating its readiness for fleet integration.

The Ship to Shore Connector (SSC) hovercraft performed multiple “well deck entries and exits” from the USS Carter Hall “as part of the first phase of ship interface testing and helped validate user requirements,” the service revealed.

The Textron-built SSC will replace the Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) hovercraft (also a Textron product), which has been in service since the 1980s.

The Texas-based defense firm delivered the first of 14 planned SSCs to the navy in 2020 as part of the Ship to Shore Connector program. The program envisions a fleet of hovercraft that require fewer operators, are easier to maintain, and have a greater payload-carrying capacity.

At 74 tons, the SSCs can carry over 10 tons more than its predecessor — including an Abrams tank — giving it an advantage over the LCAC during an amphibious assault.

The craft can move at 35 knots and carry 145 combat-armed Marines. Its skirt design reduces weight and drag, while corrosion-resistant aluminum materials are more easily available and decrease maintenance costs.