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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Landing Craft Utility
LCU-1654

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

National Defense Service Medal - Humanitarian Service Medal

LCU-1646 Class Landing Craft Utility:

Laid down, 6 May 1970, at Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, MI.

Launched, 20 October 1970

Placed in service with Assault Craft Unit Two (ACU-2), NAB Little Creek, VA.

Status, active

Specifications:
Displacement 200 t.(lt), 375 t.(fl)
Length 134' 9"
Beam 29'
Draft 6' 1"
Speed 11 kts.
Complement 14

Armament

four .50 cal. machine guns

two M60 machine guns

one M203 grenade launcher

twelve M16 rifles

two 9mm pistols

Load 170 tons

Military Lift three M1A1 tanks, 10 LAVs or 400+ troops, 125 tons of cargo.

Radar Navigation: LN 66 or SPS-53; I band.

Propulsion

two Detroit 12V-71 Diesel engines

twin shafts, 680shp sustained, Kort nozzles

Fuel Capacity 3220 gals.

Range 1,200nm at eight knots

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
	14k	*LCU-1654* underway at Augusta Bay, Sicily, circa 27 January 1976.	© Richard Leonhardt
	135k	*LCU-1654* evacuates American and European citizens from Beirut, Lebanon, 21 June 1976. Evacuees were transported to *USS Spiegel Grove* (LSD-32)** and then on to Athens, Greece. AP Wirephoto.	Tommy Trampp
	53k	*LCU-1654* beached, date and location unknown.	US Navy
	445k	Heavy support equipment of the 4th Marine Amphibious Brigade (MAB) splashes into the surf from *LCU-1654* at Camp Lejeune, N. C., during a mock amphibious assault in May 1977 during the joint training exercise, Solid Shield 77. USAF Photo by Staff Sergeant Andy Meyers, USAF, Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph Collection, Navy Subject Files	David Wright
	56k	*LCU-1654* beached while unloading HUMVEES, date and location unknown.	US Navy
	407k	Marines wade ashore from *LCU-1654* during training exercises, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, August 1982.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	439k	*LCU-1645* and *LCU-1654* at Wilmington, N.C., 16 April 1988. *LCU-1645* is beached at Battleship Park, home of the ex-*USS North Carolina* (BB-55). The Cape Fear River and the City of Wilmington are in the background where LCU-1654** is tied up.	Joe Davis
	32k	*LCU-1654* entering the well deck of an unidentified LHD, date and location unknown.	US Navy photo
1018165410	149k	U.S. Marines assigned to 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (22nd MEU) Special Operations Capable (SOC) depart the amphibious assault ship *USS Wasp* (LHD-1) in LCU-1654 in support of their mission in the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR). Arabian Gulf, 27 March 2004. LCU-1654 is assigned to the amphibious transport ship USS Shreveport (LPD-12). Wasp, Shreveport and 22nd MEU (SOC)** are currently on deployment as part of Expeditionary Strike Group Two (ESG 2).	Robert Hurst
	1959k	*LCU-1654* assigned to Assault Craft Unit (ACU-2) prepares to embark aboard the amphibious dock landing ship *USS Carter Hall* (LSD-50). Carter Hall** is part of the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group, which is en route to the Navy's 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility supporting maritime security operations. US Navy photo # 080826-N-3392P-105 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Aug. 26, 2008) by MC2 Katrina Parker.	US Navy Newsstand
	2105k	*LCU-1654* attached to Assault Craft Unit (ACU-2) prepares to embark aboard the amphibious dock landing ship *USS Carter Hall* (LSD-50), 1 November 2008. Carter Hall** is part of the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group, which is en route to the Navy's 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility supporting maritime security operations. US Navy photo # 081101-N-9134V-046 PERSIAN GULF (Nov. 1, 2008) by MC2 Flordeliz Valerio.	Robert M. Cieri
1018165411	161k	*LCU-1654* departs the well deck of the Amphibious Dock ship *USS Whidbey Island* (LSD-41), 17 July 2016. Whidbey Island** is deployed with the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group to support maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. by MC2 Nathan R. McDonald.	Robert Hurst
1018165412	211k	*LCU-1654* prepares to enter the well deck of the Amphibious Transport Dock Ship USS Ponce (LPD-15) after the ship got underway from Morehead City, N.C. after embarking elements of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU), 29 August 2010. *Ponce* is part of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and is en route to Pakistan on a U.S. humanitarian mission to support flood relief efforts. U.S. Navy photo # 100829-N-7293M-091 by MC1 Nathanael Miller	Robert Hurst