Amphibious landing tech for Kharg Island

Deep dive on amphibious landing drones: here’s what the U.S. Marine Corps has been stocking up on.

Editor’s note:

We’re committed to human interest storytelling. But occasionally, something in the broader war demands attention.

This piece, from our sister publication covering drone technology, The Arsenal, felt too relevant not to share with you here. We’ll keep bringing you the people behind the headlines while offering bonus coverage like this when it matters.

OUR LEAD STORY:

There are signs that President Donald Trump was or is considering capturing the oil terminals on an island critical to Iran’s energy infrastructure.

“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t,” Trump told The Financial Times. “We have a lot of options.”

Either operation may require an amphibious landing by U.S. Marines or other military service members.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the Pentagon is massing thousands in the Persian Gulf aboard six assault ships organized in two amphibious ready groups.

The Scenario:

Any amphibious operation would be extremely risky as lumbering and lightly armed ships disgorge slow, vulnerable landing craft packed with Marines and their equipment—and the landing craft slowly motor toward potentially heavily defended beaches, possibly while under attack from below, on and above the waves.

The salient requirement of an amphibious assault is the necessity for rapid build-up of combat power ashore to full coordinated striking power as the attack progresses toward [Amphibious Force] objectives.

-U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, JP 3-02, Amphibious Operations

Drones can help build up combat power while reducing risk for those executing the operation.

Even successful U.S. amphibious landings during World War II, the last conflict where they were common, usually left thousands of Americans dead or wounded.

An array of defense companies are working hard to make amphibious ops less risky for the landing force, by replacing some of the people with autonomous or remotely-controlled machines. Some of the systems are already in use in the U.S. Marine Corps. Some are coming soon. All represent an effort to staunch the bloodletting traditionally associated with beach landings under fire.

After the paywall:
—Learn about low-profile vessels, seabed ground drones and drone interceptors the Marine Corps is thinking about procuring or is already procuring.
—How can drone technology help save the lives of American military service members?
—What are the considerations of an amphibious landing, one of the most dangerous military operations in existence?