Maneuver Support Vessel (Light)
Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) or MSV(L) is the US Army's replacement for the Vietnam-era Landing Craft Mechanized 8 (LCM-8 or “Mike Boat”) that had been in service since 1959.
Characteristics
The MSL(V) will be able to carry either one M1A2 Abrams tank, two Stryker armored vehicles with slat armor, or four Joint Light Tactical Vehicles with trailers.[2]
Contract
In September 2017, the U.S. Army Contracting Command entered into a contract with Vigor Industrial to produce the MSV(L) at its facility in Vancouver, Washington. It is a firm fix-price contract for US$979,794,011 with an estimated completion date in 2027.[3]
It was initially planned that a prototype would be available in FY2019, then four in FY21 and FY22. Assuming full production is authorized, 32 will be built between FY23–27, for a total purchase of 36 MSV(L).[2] The first MSV(L) prototype was launched in October 2022 at Vigor Industrial's marine fabrication facility in Vancouver.[4]
Vigor began low-rate initial production work in June 2024. 180 skilled workers were designated to work on this program for five years.[5]
Ships in class
| Name | Hull no. | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Home Port | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSG Elroy F. Wells | 17 September 2019 | October 2022 | Fitting Out |
References
- ^ a b c "Maneuver Support Vessel (Light)". Vigor Marine Group. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ a b Nick Blenkey (29 September 2017). "Vigor wins $980 million Army contract". MarineLog.com.
- ^ David B. Larter (28 September 2017). "Army awards billion-dollar contract for 100-foot landing ships". DefenseNews.com.
- ^ "Vigor launches MSV(L) prototype for the U.S. Army". NavalNews.com. 15 October 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ "Vigor begins low rate initial production work on U.S. Army landing craft" (Press release). Vigor Industrial. Archived from the original on 2 July 2025.
External links
- Media related to Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) at Wikimedia Commons