DEVELOPMENT OF A DIESEL-POWERED, HEAVY LIFT, AMPHIBIOUS AIR-CUSHION LIGHTER SYSTEM FOR THE UNITED-STATES-ARMY

In order to provide additional over-the-shore logistics for U.S. troop s, the U.S. Army recently solicited a proposal for the design and cons truction of a new Lighter Amphibious-Heavy (LAMP-H) vehicle. The vehic le had to be capable of carrying 100 short tons of deck cargo at 10 kn ots and be fully amphibious. Kvaerner Masa Marine (KMM) was retained b y Bollinger Machine Shop & Shipyard in Lockport, Louisiana, to develop a new concept in military heavy-lift, amphibious vehicles, based on e arlier work on diesel-powered air cushion vehicles. Existing air cushi on military transport vehicles, such as the U.S. Army LACV-30 and the U.S. Navy L-CAC, represent what may be best described as ''low technol ogy aircraft'' with lightweight, aluminum structures and gas turbine p rime movers. The Kvaerner/Bollinger approach has been to develop a ''h igh technology marine craft'' with combination steel/aluminum structur e and diesel engines. The project evolved through concept design and m odel testing into a contract design package from which a shipyard bid proposal was developed. The resultant design gives an innovative solut ion to the over-the-shore logistics problem.