Kvichak Delivers five MPFs to the Navy
Kvichak Marine Industries, Inc., of Seattle, WA, recently delivered five Military Preposition Force (MPF) utility boats to the United States Navy, completing their final contract order. Kvichak has delivered a total of 33 MPFs to the Navy since February 2006. The 40’ high-speed landing craft are replacing the Navy’s existing LCM-8 craft as part of the Improved Navy Lighterage System in support of pre-positioned Marine Amphibious assault missions.
The 40’ x 14’ landing craft have a loaded flank speed of ~38 knots and a lightened flank speed of ~42 knots. The propulsion package includes twin Cummins QSM11 engines rated for 660hp at 2300 rpm, ZF 325 marine gears, and Hamilton 364 water jets.
To ensure the safety and efficiency of transporting 30 troops, their gear and/or general cargo, the craft utilizes a house aft configuration and features a power bow door and high-level engine suctions for beach deployment.
Additional craft features include a 6kW Northern Lights gen-set with shore power, an Integrated Furuno Navnet electronics package, ship board stowage cradle, and three weapon mounts for M2 / MK19 and M60E3 weapons.