Runnymede-class (LCU-2000)

The Runnymede class of large landing craft is operated by the United States Army. Designed as Landing Craft Utility vessels, they were built by VT Halter Marine, Inc. to replace older United States Navy-designed landing craft. A total of 35 vessels were completed, entering service starting in 1990 with the lead ship, USAV Runnymede (LCU 2001).

The vessels feature a bow ramp and a large aft superstructure. The design is configured to transport rolling and tracked vehicles, containers, and outsized or general cargo from offshore ships to the shore, as well as through coastal, harbor, and intercoastal waterways inaccessible to deep-draft oceangoing vessels. For cargo carriage, the class has a capacity of 350 short tons. This allows the transport of up to five M1 Abrams main battle tanks, twelve 20-foot ISO containers (or 24 when double-stacked), or the equivalent of eight C-17 Globemaster III cargo loads. To assist in retracting from beaches during landing operations, the vessels are equipped with an aft anchor.

The Runnymede class hulls are built and classed to American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) load line rules. While their machinery installations met ABS machinery rules at the time of construction, the onboard systems are not classed by the ABS. The vessels do not carry a United States Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection, being classified under 46 CFR subchapter C as uninspected vessels, and are certified for coastal service and one-man engine room operations. For deployment, the landing craft can self-deploy or be transported aboard float-on/float-off vessels.

All 35 planned vessels of the class remain active, spanning from LCU 2001 through USAV Port Hudson (LCU 2035). Several of these craft are deployed to Europe, and others are stationed aboard Afloat Prepositioning Ships.