An air-cushion vehicle (ACV), or hovercraft, is an amphibious vehicle or craft, designed to travel over any sufficiently smooth surface supported by a cushion of slowly moving, high-pressure air, ejected downwards against the surface close below it. Most military air cushion vehicles are amphibious ACVs that are exceptionally suited to various tasks as they are not dependent on road conditions and can quickly move across the various terrains in pursuit of their goal. Various military uses of ACVs include:

• Amphibious Assault
• Border, Coastal, Riverine and Range Patrol
• Fast Attack
• Logistics
• Medical Evacuation
• Mine Counter Measures
• Reconnaissance and Surveillance
• Search and Rescue
• Policing/Customs

NetStar Technologies’ LACV2 Air Cushion Vehicle will accomplish any task performed by a fast boat, but will operate where no boat can venture over land and sea mines, sand, mud, ice, snow, rocks, weeds, logs, debris and rapids. They have the ability to travel at high speed over a wide variety of surfaces; the reliability and low maintenance of the modern diesel engines; simple but rugged construction; ease of operation and maintenance; and a high degree of maneuverability.

Cruising at high speed, these amphibious diesel-engine craft operate best where it is difficult, if not impossible, for conventional boats to operate i.e. over land and shallow water, sand, mud, rocks, weeds, logs, debris, ice and rapids. NetStar’s line of LACV2s include:

• LACV2-A Amphibious Assault Craft - mid-size ACV designed for the insertion, support and extraction of small Special Operations teams.
• LACV2-F Fast Attack Craft – a stable weapons platform designed for fast attack combat operations in littoral water and coastal wetland regions.
• LACV2-R Armed Reconnaissance Craft – designed for armed reconnaissance missions in littoral water and coastal wetland regions

LACV2 Advantages

• Fully Amphibious - Operate over water, land, sandbanks, mudflats, ice, rocks and rapids.
• High Speed - Cruise at full payload at speeds of 25-36 knots.
• Low Initial Costs - Similar price to conventional boats of same speed and payload.
• Low Operating Costs - Similar to conventional boats of same speed and payload.
• Air-Cooled Diesel Engines - Gives reliability and long life
• Negligible Noise Levels - About the same as a truck or high-speed boat.
• Highly Maneuverable - More maneuverable than boats
• Simple - Simple in design, manufacture, operation and maintenance.
• Reliable - Proven over tens of thousands of operating hours
• Easy to Operate - Same time as for learning to drive a car or truck
• Easy to Maintain - An ordinary diesel or boat mechanic can service and maintain
• Minimal Training - From one day for the smallest to eight weeks for the largest craft.
• Very Little Spray - Low cushion pressure keeps spray to a minimum
• No Wash or Wake - There is virtually no wash / wake at high speed.
• Classifiable - By Lloyds, US Coastguard or other classification authorities.
• No Berthing Problems - Operate equally successfully from unprepared beaches and riverbanks or from piers, pontoons and harbors.

Further Information

For further information about NetStar's LACV2 Air Cusion Vehicle, contact NetStar Technologies Sales at (361) 354-5468.