Artifact of the Month
Side view of the LARC XV (Lighter, Amphibious, Resupply, Cargo, Fifteen ton) on exhibit at the TC Museum.
Front view of the LARC XV (Lighter, Amphibious, Resupply, Cargo, Fifteen ton) on exhibit at the TC Museum.
LARC XV in the water caring cargo.
LARC XV coming ashore.
The Frauhauf Corporation designed and produced the “Lighter, Amphibious, Resupply, Cargo, Fifteen ton”, or LARC XV, in 1960 in order to meet the Army’s demand for an amphibious medium capacity cargo carrier, The LARC XV was an aluminum hulled, four wheeled craft designed to be loaded with palletized or crated cargo from supply ships off the shore from the desired delivery point.
The XV was capable of hauling the recently introduced MILVAN metal cargo containers, speeding up the delivery process by containing all supplies within a single block. Collapsible canvas side walls were used to aid the unloading process early on, but metal walls were later installed for heavier loads. In addition, the hull was hinged to allow the bow to be lowered and a ramp deployed, making unloading even easier. The rear mounted driver’s station required the crewman to stand when a MILVAN was loaded in order to see forward, resulting in a unique Plexiglass bubble top for the serviceman to get a clear line of sight. The LARC XV served on Regular Army duty well into the 1980s. Eventually phased out of service, some examples linger on in the civilian world as salvage craft, supply vessels, and tour amphibians.