Companies Team on Ship-to-Shore Connector

Textron Marine & Land Systems, an operating unit of Textron Systems, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, has teamed with L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL) to pursue the Navy’s next generation landing-craft, the Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC), and to further develop the Navy’s contract design using its proven detailed design-to-prototype build practices.

The SSC program, estimated by the Navy to have a value of $4b, provides for the construction of up to 80 hovercraft to replace the aging Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) fleet. These craft provide the primary over-the-horizon, ship-to-objective amphibious lift capability, as well as the capability to move across the beach carrying heavy payloads for military and humanitarian operations.

Textron Marine & Land Systems is proposing to be the prime contractor, shipbuilder, and test facility; L-3 Communications is proposing to design, build, outfit, integrate, test and deliver various craft modules, as well as provide integrated lifecycle support and logistics. 

The Navy’s SSC Specification Development is scheduled to continue for another year, with an anticipated release of a request for proposal of the Detailed Design and Construction of the lead craft in late 2010.

(www.textronsystems.com)