LCAC (Landing Craft Air Cushion)

The LCAC (light) is a small hovercraft used by 539 Assault Squadron Royal Marines. LCACs are amphibious i.e. able to transverse both land and water and for this reason they make ideal landing and patrol craft.

LCACs can navigate across bogs, marshes, swamps and other places that over vessels would find impossible. Another advantage of hovercraft is that they produce next to no wake at high speed thus making them more stealthy than traditional craft.

The Royal Marines have deployed LCACs during operations in Iraq. LCACs were used to patrol the marshes in the south of the country.

It's reported that the Royal Marines operate 4 LCACs which are based on the 2000TD model made by Griffon Hovercraft.

LCAC (light) Hovercraft Specifications

A Royal Marines LCAC delivers U.S. Marines onto a beach during a joint training exercise. DoD photo by: CORPORAL JIMMIE PERKINS, USMC

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