Leading hovercraft manufacturer Griffon Hoverwork, has launched its latest class of Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC): The Wyvern.
Touted as the most advanced LCAC ever crafted, The Wyvern promises swift amphibious transport for global military units, catering to needs arising from conflicts, natural disasters, or humanitarian operations.
Speaking at Defence and Security Equipment International earlier in the year, Mark Downer, Engineering Director at Griffon Hoverwork, expressed his enthusiasm, “We were delighted to reveal the Wyvern today to the distinguished audience… Griffon is the world leader in hovercraft design and innovation, with six decades of experience in naval architecture and design. Our goal was to engineer an LCAC that not only showcases exceptional performance but is also straightforward to maintain for peak operational efficiency.”
The Wyvern boasts impressive features such as a top speed of 50 knots and a considerable payload capacity exceeding 52 tonnes. A significant highlight of this all-British creation is that it complies with UK Export Restrictions.
For a comprehensive insight into The Wyvern, including detailed specifications and core component descriptions, one can visit the dedicated microsite https://www.griffonwyvern.com/
Could it replace the LCVP Mk5s?
Bit big for that…its an LCU replacement if anything
I think they mentioned when speaking to Naval News they would be going for an upcoming UK requirement to replace LCU Mk10
Makes sense if they want to go with over the horizon long range insertion.
Ahhh, ok, bigger than I thought. I know there’s a LCVP replacement in the works, but unsure if there’s a LCU MK10 replacement planned?
I don’t think that either this or LCU 11 will go anywhere until they finally make their minds up about the direction they go when / if the replace Bulwark & Albion.
Both have their merits (speed / range) but unlike the USMC Injust can’t see us funding some of both.
If I were Griffon I’d be loudly knocking on the doors of Sweden, Norway and Finland, because this is right up their alley.
However I have got to say it does look fun.
I’ve just got on a PC so looked more closely at that diagram as was on my mobile earlier….and then I’d suggested LCVP replacement/ It’s huge! I’ve just noted that armoured vehicle!
Reminds me of those huge ones the USMC have.
LRGs do need a faster replacement for LCVPs, as they and ORCS/RIBS/RRC/IRC are it for now. RM do have a program to replace them, but yes, not for the much bigger LCUs.
On the LRG subject, I see Argus has 3 Merlin from 845 deployed for the 1st LRG(S)
Drone proof?
It looks good, but like all hovercraft the skirt is vulnerable to shrapnel and small arms fire. Bit of a problem if trying to land an Ajax on a contested beach
If the enemy has destroyed your fast moving, and reinforced kevlar skirt with shrapnel and small arms fire to such a degree your hovercraft is immobilised, you have far bigger issues
E.g. the imminent destruction of your payload
I don’t think most landing craft are armoured anyway, are they?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think 50 knots is a much better protection than a metal hull; with a hovercraft, there’s spare lift before it even touches the water, let alone sinks
Fisher said the same thing about the battlecruisers before Jutland; they sacrificed armour for speed and three of them were hit by accurate High Seas Fleet gunnery, blew up and sank
The battlecruisers used their X1.2 speed to get into range and we’re only as maneuverable as a battleship; a hovercraft is 3 times faster than conventional landing craft and maneuverable with it.
They are quick. Back in the day you could get across the Channel in half an hour in one with a following wind 🙂
Battlecruisers were tough- Beatty’s flagship took a huge amount of punishment at Dogger Bank and Jutland- it was actually lax ammunition handling practices with cordite in the turrets and corridors that led to those ships exploding.
Not to mention the accurate German gunnery that hit the battlecruisers in the first place. The “Run to the South” was a tactical disaster and the extremely arrogant Beatty should have been dismissed the service for incompetence, but he was friends with the King and got promoted…..
Jutland is still a very controversial subject in the RN even today. Best to let the dead rest in peace.
Exactly- HMS Tiger suffered 17 main battery hits from Moltke during Jutland and didn’t explode, mainly due to better ammo handling ie not having cordite bags loose in the turret
Indeed saw a documentary that did scientific analysis of the relative hits and there was no evidence the German ships were better built or particularly more accurate in fire just that their hits were more lethal because rapid fire was prioritised (in the tradition of Nelson) and the flame proof doors to the turrets were left open causing catastrophic effects from those hits.
Wasn’t that because Beatty who was in charge of the battle cruisers at Jutland left magazine doors open for faster loading which caused flashback then catastrophy
Rapid fire was a RN obsession at that time, they prided themselves on their superior rate of fire and pushed way too hard to achieve it.
I suppose the point Dave S and Toby are making is, the alternatives aren’t any better protected either? Nice bit of kit, just need something with the space to carry a few!
You don’t land on a contested beach anymore. Naval landings are all about strategic manoeuvres, direct assaults are suicide in the modern age.
In that context, speed is king. You want to get the payload ashore and be heading back to the ship for the next load or withdrawal to safer waters as quickly as possible.
Safer waters? Around those Chinese fortified islands in the S China Sea maybe…. They look remarkably like Iwo Jima to me
No beaches on those for a hovercraft
Anyway, even the USN won’t touch one of those with a barge pole until they’ve been straddled with Tomahawks
No one is planning to take those islands by direct assault. The USMC is trading heavy equipment for raiding capabilities and anti-ship missiles for a reason; levelling the islands with naval firepower and speeding in to neutralise and secure what’s left is a far more viable strategy than chugging towards the coast and praying the enemy only shoots at you with machine guns and not the plethora of guided weapons at their disposal
For which a hovercraft is ideal ; in and out or range as fast as possible, effectively a helicopter assault but with tanks on boadr
Does the RM still have hovercraft? I seem to recall some up for disposal but a picture of one is still on the RM website, although there is no mention specifically.
Crikey carrot, have they opened the hovercraft section at Lee_on_solent again?? 😳 Think the slipway ‘s still there. Used to piss the home owners off royaly. Doh.
Also remember trials,(HTU) Hovercraft Trials Unit, a very large mine at sea couldn’t blow the skirts off the hovercraft. Windows yes, skirt no. 😉😊
Hoverwork is on the Itchen in Southampton now, I think the Lee-on-Solent site is now ‘The Hovercraft museum’
I remember seeing model interpretations of hovercraft on display, armed to the teeth with missiles and cannon’s, in the Imperial War Museum. Just imagine, 50_80+knts as well. I wonder what happened to the models. Always thought they were the way ahead, as a baby sailor. 💭🤔👍🙃
Tvm for the info Toby J.
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