Alion receives U.S. Navy task order

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MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Alion Science and Technology has been awarded a contract to support the U.S. Navy's Amphibious Warfare Program Office.

Alion's efforts include supporting the acquisition and production of the Navy's LHA(R) class and its next-generation connector, the Ship to Shore Connector vessel. Alion will also support the Service Life Extension Program of their current Connector, the Landing Craft Air Cushion.

The award -- a delivery order under Navy's SeaPort Enhanced contract -- has a potential value of $169.7 million over five years. The base year value is approximately $26.1 million.

The Navy's amphibious ships and connectors are core to meeting the U.S. Marine Corp's mission to embark, land and support Marine expeditionary forces for extended periods of time.

The LHA(R) class will replace the LHA-1 Tarawa class, which is nearing the end of its service life.

As the next generation "big-deck" amphibious ship, LHA-6 will be optimized for aviation, capable of supporting current and future aircraft such as the tilt-rotor MV 22 and the Joint Strike Fighter. LHA-6 will be 844 feet in length and will have a displacement of approximately 45,000 long tons.

The LCAC is a high-speed, fully amphibious landing craft capable of carrying a 60-ton-75- ton payload. The LCAC was first deployed in 1982 and will be replaced by the SSC, which has an increased payload, starting in 2018.