Marine Corps Accepts First Prototype of New Littoral Supply Craft
The Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory has accepted the first prototype of a new landing craft designed to deliver Marines, equipment and fuel directly onto remote shorelines in contested areas.
Known as the Ancillary Surface Craft, the vessel is intended to help sustain Marine Stand-in Forces operating across the Pacific and other island-heavy regions where established ports and piers may be unavailable or vulnerable to attack.
Technical acceptance marks the beginning of an extensive testing and experimentation program. Marines will now evaluate how well the craft performs during Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations and other distributed maritime missions.
The Marine Corps awarded a contract for the prototype to Birdon America in 2024. By using a partnership intermediary agreement and working with a nontraditional shipbuilder, the service was able to move the project quickly from concept into construction.
Approximately 150 feet long, the roll-on/roll-off craft was built to carry personnel and supplies across the “last tactical mile.” Its bow-first beaching capability allows it to unload directly onto unimproved and shallow shorelines.
The ASC can transport as many as 40 combat-equipped Marines and up to 46 tons of cargo. Potential loads include vehicles, weapons, fuel, ammunition and other supplies needed to sustain dispersed forces.
The craft is fully operational in Sea State 5 conditions and designed to survive seas reaching Sea State 7. It is also equipped with forward-looking sonar to help its crew navigate shallow, unfamiliar and potentially unsurveyed coastal waters.
Aaron Hatfield, maritime program manager with the Warfighting Laboratory’s Science and Technology Division, said technical acceptance confirms that the prototype’s major systems and overall construction are ready for hands-on evaluation.
The next phase will consist of limited technical assessments conducted with Birdon America craft masters and engineers. Australian Army personnel will provide crewing support, while the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory oversees the tests and evaluates the results.
The joint effort reflects the growing cooperation between American and Australian forces as both nations develop new methods of operating across the Indo-Pacific.
The Marine Corps ultimately intends for supported units to operate the ASC as an organic capability. During the initial testing period, however, the vessel will use a hybrid crew of Marines and experienced civilian mariners. This arrangement will allow Marines to receive practical instruction as the service prepares to operate more small surface craft independently.
The ASC is not intended to replace the larger Medium Landing Ship. Instead, the two vessels would perform different but complementary roles.
Medium Landing Ships would transport forces and equipment between islands and staging locations. The smaller ASC would then carry supplies from offshore or intermediate bases through shallow water and onto beaches that larger vessels cannot reach.
Used together, the vessels could provide Marines with a complete transportation route from a staging base to an isolated shoreline without requiring a functioning port, pier or causeway.
Col. Kenny Jones, director of the Warfighting Laboratory’s Science and Technology Division, said this capability is important because Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations require Marines to remain mobile while avoiding dependence on fixed infrastructure.
Testing will allow Marines to experiment with tactical concepts, evaluate the craft’s traditional bow-first beaching system and identify changes that may be needed before requirements are finalized for future vessels.
Although the ASC’s primary missions are transportation and logistics rather than direct combat, upcoming trials will also examine possible self-defense and force-protection systems. Those evaluations will help determine how the craft and its crew could survive while operating in contested waters.
The testing program is expected to provide the Marine Corps with valuable information about the future use of small landing craft while strengthening cooperation with Australia in naval expeditionary warfare and littoral operations.