From the Desert to the Delta: The Army Shifts Focus to the Sea

Since the onset of war in the Middle East, amphibious transportation and quartermaster units have been overlooked for Department of Defense (DoD) spending for the simple fact that there were very few areas where the Army’s “brownwater” fleet would have been either practical or useful. However, with the focus of the military shifting towards the pacific, the story is beginning to change. 

While the Army does own and operate various types of ships the glaring issue in the “fleet” is the rapidly aging ship-to-shore transport vessels, most notably the Landing Craft Mechanized, Mark 8 (LCM-8). This model of landing craft was put in to service in the late 1960’s and serves today as the Army’s primary means of delivering tanks and troops to the beaches. The LCM-8 saw heavy use during the Vietnam War and more limited use during the various conflicts that followed. When it was procured in 1967 the LCM-8 had an Economic Utility Life (EUL) of only 25 years and was expected to be replaced in 1992.

LCM-8 c.1972

It has been decided that it is high time that the army update its now 40 year old inventory. The reason why this update was a long time coming was simply due to the fact that there was no demand for more advanced ship-to-shore transportation methods in the mountains of Afghanistan. Kevin Fahey, the Army’s combat service support chief, remarked that “We really haven’t utilized [the ships] a lot. So if you look at our fleet, it’s really old, especially as we transition to the Pacific.”

Recently, the Army issued a request for information (RFI) to the private sector to find a viable alternative to this aging tech. The program, which has been dubbed the Maneuver Support Vessel-Light (MSV (L)), is still in the very early in the development cycle and private companies are still competing for the Army’s contract. Currently, the program is number two on the combat service support office’s priorities after the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program.

Troops working on the LCM-8

 The MSV (L) program's requirements depart from the old LCM-8 in a variety of ways. First, the MSV (L) will be required to maintain a high level of survivability, force protection, and have the ability to fight if the situation calls for it. The LCM-8 was simply a dedicated transport and its only focus was getting troops and supplies from point-A to point-B. Second, it will serve many roles other than simple transport. The MSV (L) will be called upon to conduct tactical supply, security, and or patrol missions in riverine settings. Finally, the MSV (L) will conduct both combat operations as well as multipurpose harbor work. These drastic updates are a response to the very dynamic nature of modern war. The DoD hopes that this program will fulfill the needs of many organizations within the Army, acting much like a waterborne Blackhawk airframe.

The high priority of the program gives away the DoD’s continued emphasis on future operations in the Pacific. For the unique problem of long shorelines and islands dotting the map, the Army needs this update in order to adapt to a new style of war. Rapid deployment of troops is paramount in beachhead or island-hopping operations. This new program will serve as a force multiplier and will greatly extend the United States’ ability to project power in the Pacific.