Skip to main content

Naval History and Heritage Command

National Museum of the U.S. Navy

Related Content
Armored Troop Carrier (ATC)

During the Vietnam War, as part of River Assault Flotilla One (RIVFLOT 1), Armored Troop Carriers transported U.S. Army troops to battle zones and to support them in battle.  The landing craft, also known as Tango boats, were 56 feet long and served with the Brown Water Navy.  The carriers usually had a crew of seven and could carry 40 infantrymen.   The armament consisted of .30 and .50 caliber machine guns, one 20mm cannon, and Mk18 grenade launchers.  Tango boats could go 110 miles without refueling, had a large well deck for troops, and a drop-down ramp for landing soldiers, where the hull could withstand enemy fire from .50 caliber projectiles.  During Vietnamization, the boats were turned over to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. 

A model of an ATC LCC, a command and control boat, is on display in the America's Wars in Vietnam: 1961-1975 exhibit in the south end of the Cold War Gallery, Bldg. 70. 

Other Resources:

War in the Shallows:   U.S. Navy Coastal and Riverine Warfare in Vietnam

Image:  K-69363:  Armored Troop Carrier (ATC), March 1969.  Using its High Velocity Water Jet System.  Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.