What is this mission of the Landing Craft Air Cushion?
The Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) is a high-speed transport vehicle that carries equipment, troops, vehicles and supplies on a cushion of air. Because of its air cushion LCAC is able to traverse the surf zone and land on shore where it quickly offloads and returns to its ship. This high-speed, amphibious landing craft is capable of carrying a 60-ton payload (75 tons in overload) at speeds in excess of 40 knots and a nominal range of 200 nautical miles. LCACs provide amphibious task force commanders flexibility in selecting landing sites by permitting access to more than 70 percent of the world’s beaches as compared to only 17 percent for conventional landing craft.
