Fincantieri-lead team submits US Army landing craft proposal

Fincantieri Marine Group, coupled with a number of companies involved in the project, submitted their proposal for the United States Army Maneuver Support Vessel – Light, the company announced in February.

Fincantieri is at the helm of an industry team comprised of the catamaran landing craft (L-CAT) designer CNIM, tactical wheeled vehicles and life sustainment services provider Oshkosh Defense and other specialist partners, including Watercraft Logistics and FEDITC.

The Maneuver Support Vessel – Light, or MSV-L, is a watercraft that is intended to replace the existing Vietnam-era Landing Craft Mechanized 8. The MSV(L) will provide land maneuver forces with operational agility through tactically synchronized, movement of combat-ready, tailored force elements.

“We’ve assembled a world-class team of industry partners in order to deliver to the U.S. Army a highly reliable, low-risk, low total-life-cycle cost solution,” Fincantieri Marine Group president and CEO, Francesco Valente, commented on the submission.

Valente further said the reference design is based on seven L-CAT vessels, in service for more than 5 years, conducting global combat force missions for the French Navy.