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Assault Craft Unit FOUR (ACU-4), assigned to Expeditionary Strike Group 2, at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, home of the Navy’s Atlantic-based Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) fleet, celebrates 38 years of continued service in support of emerging mission requirements.
“ACU-4 has been prepared to employ mission-ready forces to protect the homeland, project maritime power, and respond to a crisis for nearly 40 years,” said Cmdr. Jonathan Paiz, executive officer, ACU-4. “Our combat-ready Sailors and crafts are prepared to go forth and execute the missions we are assigned.”
ACU-4 was commissioned in the spring of 1986, in Panama City, Florida, and accepted delivery of its first LCAC in March 1987. Within the first few years following its commission the unit successfully achieved several milestones. In 1987, ACU-4 conducted cold weather testing, which demonstrated that the LCAC can operate in a temperature range of -30F to +160F. In addition, the unit participated with Air Force mobile hospital units in Exercise TEQUILA SUNRISE, where it provided amphibious logistics support, conducting insertion and extraction between ships and shore.
Presently, ACU-4 has four deployable detachments ready at any time. One detachment consists of four crafts, their crew and the maintenance team. LCACs deliver fast, over-the-horizon, expeditionary lift capability for the Navy and Marine Corps team. The Sailors of ACU-4 are uniquely trained to conduct maintenance, material management, operational planning, and training to support their crafts.
“The standard rotation at ACU-4 is one detachment deployed, one training to deploy, one ready to enter the training cycle, and one standing by to respond to disaster or crisis,” said Paiz. “All while conducting internal training, interoperability training and supporting Navy Fleet Weeks.”
As a vital deployment asset sent with an Amphibious Ready Group, LCACs offer unique tactical capabilities among multiple theaters of operation. A single deployed LCAC detachment can support Navy and Marine Corps capabilities, engage in joint training, and deter adversaries.
“The amphibious force as a whole provides a capability not found anywhere else,” said Paiz. “The capability to lift via the surface means a lot of people and equipment can be quickly transported through the littorals and reach their intended target on time.”
U.S. 2nd Fleet, reestablished in 2018 in response to the changing global security environment, develops and employs maritime forces ready to fight across multiple domains in the Atlantic and Arctic in order to ensure access, deter aggression and defend U.S., allied, and partner interests.
| Date Taken: | 04.10.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.11.2024 17:35 |
| Story ID: | 468216 |
| Location: | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 31 |
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