Jay Clemens
The U.S. Army has started work to find a company to build a 100-foot-long landing craft for the Abrams main battle tank as the military branch seeks to retire a predecessor 74-foot landing ship, Defense News reported Wednesday.
Christopher Cavas writes the Army has released a request for proposals for a new light maneuver support vessel to replace the Landing Craft Mechanized 8 boats used by the Army to transport people and equipment.
The Army requires a ship nearly 100 feet long, 30 feet wide and with a maximum speed of at least 18 knots, according to the report.
Defense News reports the Army also wants the new vessel to carry one M1A2 Abrams tank or two Stryker armored vehicles equipped with slat armor or four joint light tactical vehicles.
The Army plans to install “a subsurface surveillance device, protection from small arms fire and two Common Remotely Operated Weapon Stations for vessel defense and force protection†into the landing craft, Cavas reports.
