Austin vs Landing Craft Air Cushion

The Austin and the Landing Craft Air Cushion are both Amphibious vessel classes. The Austin displaces 16,914 tons — 91:1 the Landing Craft Air Cushion's 185 tons. The Austin reaches 21 knots vs 70 knots for the Landing Craft Air Cushion. Operational range is 7,000 nautical miles for the Austin vs 300 for the Landing Craft Air Cushion. The Austin carries a crew of 420 vs 5 for the Landing Craft Air Cushion. The Austin was produced in 12 units vs 97 for the Landing Craft Air Cushion. Cost per hull is $235M for the Austin vs $41M for the Landing Craft Air Cushion. The Austin was commissioned in 1965, 21 years before the Landing Craft Air Cushion (1986).

United States amphibious transport dock, 16,914 tons displacement, introduced in 1965 by New York Naval Shipyard.
Origin 🇺🇸 United States
Category Amphibious vessel
Type Amphibious transport dock
Manufacturer New York Naval Shipyard
Year introduced 1965
Number built 12 units
Estimated unit price $235 million
American amphibious landing craft, introduced in 1986, achieves 70 knots using four gas turbine engines.
Origin 🇺🇸 United States
Category Amphibious vessel
Type Landing craft
Manufacturer Textron Marine and Land Systems
Year introduced 1986
Number built 97 units
Estimated unit price $41 million
Displacement 16,914 tons
Maximum speed 21.0 knots
Range 7,000 nm at 20 knots
Length 173.0 m
Beam 32.0 m
Crew 420
Propulsion 2 × boilers, 2 × steam turbines, 2 × shafts, 24,000 shp (18,000 kW)
Armament
  • 2 × 25 mm Mk 38 guns
  • 2 × Phalanx CIWS
  • 8 × .50-calibre machine guns
Displacement 185 tons
Maximum speed 70.0 knots
Range 300 nm at 35 knots
Length 26.8 m
Beam 14.0 m
Crew 5
Propulsion 4 Avco Lycoming TF40B, (4,390 hp; 3,270 kW) each
Armament
  • Two M240B machine guns
  • Mk 19 Mod 3 40 mm grenade launcher

Performance Radar Chart

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has greater displacement, the Austin-class or Landing Craft Air Cushion-class?
The Austin-class has greater displacement at 16,914 tons compared to the Landing Craft Air Cushion-class's 185 tons.
Which is faster, the Austin-class or Landing Craft Air Cushion-class?
The Landing Craft Air Cushion-class is faster with a maximum speed of 70 knots compared to the Austin-class's 21 knots.
Which has longer range, the Austin-class or Landing Craft Air Cushion-class?
The Austin-class has a longer range at 7,000 nautical miles compared to the Landing Craft Air Cushion-class's 300 nautical miles.
Which is longer, the Austin-class or Landing Craft Air Cushion-class?
The Austin-class is longer at 173.0 meters compared to the Landing Craft Air Cushion-class's 26.8 meters.
How many crew members do the Austin-class and Landing Craft Air Cushion-class have?
The Austin-class has a larger crew complement of 420 compared to the Landing Craft Air Cushion-class's 5 crew members.
Which is more expensive, the Austin-class or Landing Craft Air Cushion-class?
The Austin-class is more expensive at approximately $235 million per unit compared to the Landing Craft Air Cushion-class at $41 million.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Austin-class or Landing Craft Air Cushion-class?
The Landing Craft Air Cushion-class has been built in greater numbers with 97 vessels compared to 12 vessels of the Austin-class.