U.S. Navy Awards $280M to Three Shipyards for LCU 1700 Craft

The U.S. According to a Navy press release, the contracts went to Conrad Shipyard of Orange, Texas; Master Boat Builders of Coden, Alabama; and Saronic Technologies of Brownsville, Texas.

William F. Mahan, performing the duties of Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, explained the strategy. "By selecting three distinct shipyards, the Navy is expanding its shipbuilding industrial base capacity and building a resilient 'second source' of supply for landing craft," he said. He added that the prototype authority allows the Navy to move quickly.

Acquisition Strategy and Funding

This acquisition approach uses prototype authorities under federal law to expedite delivery. It is funded by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The goal is to validate a production-ready Technical Data Package and rapidly expand parallel supply lines for these critical littoral capabilities.

The Navy aims to establish a resilient, multi-source industrial base. It introduces modern construction processes across the three shipyards. Validating the technical plans through actual fabrication ensures a low-risk transition to high-rate production later.

The LCU 1700 Craft

The LCU 1700 is the designated replacement for the legacy LCU 1610 class. The older craft average over 50 years of active service. The new vessels will offer improved reliability, greater payload capacity, and extended operational reach. They are also designed to be compatible with the Navy's amphibious warfare ships.

Deliveries of the new craft are scheduled to begin in late 2028 and continue through 2029. In August, the Navy took delivery of its first LCU 1700 class vessel, the LCU 1710, from builder Austal USA.

Industrial Base and Strategic Impact

Naval News analysis suggests the awards mark a significant step in expanding the industrial base for the program. By including a mix of traditional shipbuilders and a technology-focused company like Saronic, the Navy is pursuing greater production capacity and supply chain resilience for amphibious warfare logistics.

This multi-yard approach is designed to prevent manufacturing bottlenecks and accelerate delivery timelines. It will also test alternative production methods for essential utility and landing craft. These developments are expected to influence operational logistics and future deployment support capabilities.

The inclusion of Saronic links the program to broader industrial developments. Saronic is developing a major new shipyard facility called Port Alpha. This planned multi-billion-dollar facility represents a push to inject high-capacity, advanced manufacturing into the U.S. Defense supply chain. The strategy blends established shipbuilding expertise with agile commercial innovation to support fleet readiness.