Page 29: of Marine News Magazine (July 2025)

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The next generation landing craft, Ship to Shore

Connector (SSC), Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC), successfully completed well deck interoperability testing with USS Carter Hall (LSD 50).

Ronald Newsome, Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division

East Coast-based U.S. Naval Special Warfare Operators (SEALs) and Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (SWCC) conduct maritime training aboard a Combat

Craft Medium with Norwegian Naval Special Operations

Commandos as part of Nordic Response 24. The CCM can be custom-equipped with a variety of weapons and systems, to include drones and loitering munitions. They can carry a team of 19 SEALS up to 600 miles at 40 knots. The boats ? rst came into service in 2015, and are now being upgraded.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Bill Carlisle are newer. The Navy took the LCU 1700 work from Swift- cluding the 41-foot Combat Assault Craft; 61-foot Com- ships of Morgan City, La. That work is now being done by bat Craft Medium, capable of 52 knots; and the 33-foot

Austal USA of Mobile, Ala. Special Operations Craft Riverine.

The Navy is has put some of its Landing Craft Air The Navy had big plans for the Mark VI patrol boat,

Cushions (LCACs) through an Extended Service Life Ex- which was to be the replacement for the Riverine Com- tension Program. The service is now procuring the new mand Boat (based on the Swedish CB 90) for patrol- version of LCAC, called the Ship to Shore Connector, or ling littoral waters. It was small enough to be carried

SSC, which the Navy calls the “evolutionary replacement” aboard a Navy amphibious ship, but at 85 feet, was large of the LCAC. Textron Systems of Slidell, La., is the SSC enough to have better range and systems than the RCB, prime contractor. which was used for coastal and riverine missions. But the much-touted MK VI, found to be costly to operate and

Special Ops maintain. The Navy is, instead, procuring a new 40-foot

Other boats specialized for expeditionary operations patrol boat (40PB), suited for port security and inshore are employed by special operations units, riverine forces patrol missions. and Marines. Many boats are offered for foreign military sales. For ex-

Special Operations forces employ a variety of boats, in- ample, Mark VI patrol boats are being available to Ukraine.