Louisiana's Military Heritage:
Textron Marine & Land Systems
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Louisiana's Military Heritage: Textron Marine & Land Systems |
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Textron Marine & Land Systems
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Located in New Orleans, Louisiana, near the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain, Textron Marine & Land Systems manufactures several military vehicles and vessels for the U.S. armed forces. |
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The Landing Craft—Air Cushion (LCAC) allows the Marine Corps to make amphibious assaults on almost any type of shoreline. Official U.S. Navy photo. |
Textron produces the Landing Craft—Air Cushion (LCAC), a hovercraft which allows the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy to move troops and supplies to shore from deep-water vessels quickly. Since its introduction in 1987, it has become the mainstay of U.S. amphibious forces, much like the Higgins LCVP of World War II which was also produced in New Orleans. The LCAC is a multi-mission craft, being used in other roles like mine hunting/sweeping and humanitarian relief efforts. LCACs were used to bring relief supplies from offshore vessels to the Gulf Coastal cities of New Orleans, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Mobile in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. |
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The M-117 Armored Security Vehicle (ASV), a 4x4 wheeled vehicle used by the U.S. Army's military police, is another vehicle built by Textron. Manned by a crew of three (3), the M-117 features a fully-enclosed turret with a 40mm Mk-19 grenade launcher and a 12.7mm M-2 machine gun, as well as modular armor providing front, rear, and side protection from 50-caliber armor-piercing ammunition. It also provides protection from 155mm artillery shell fragments overhead and 12-pound mine blasts under each wheel. |
Textron's Armored Security Vehicle (ASV) has seen extensive use during operations in Iraq. Official U.S. Army photo. |
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The Motor Life Boat is one of the U.S. Coast Guard's most durable watercraft. Official U.S. Coast Guard photo. |
Another vessel manufactured by Textron is the 47-foot Motor Life Boat used by the U.S. Coast Guard. These little vessels are self-righting heavy weather patrol and rescue craft and can operate in hurricane-force winds and 20-foot plus breaking seas. The prototype was tested off of Cape Disappointment, Washington, which has some of the roughest coastal waters in the continental United States. |
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**Copyright 1997-2006 by Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission** |
