[Ryan Robertson]
THE U-S NAVY IS SICK OF SPENDING MILLIONS TO TAKE DOWN DRONES THAT COST THOUSANDS–THESE CUTTING-EDGE HYPERVELOCITY PROJECTILES COULD HELP.
AND THEY’RE CALLING IT GOLF FORCE ONE. WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT’S LIKELY THE MOST HEAVILY ARMORED GOLF CART IN HISTORY.
HEY EVERYONE AND WELCOME TO WEAPONS AND WARFARE. A SHOW MADE FOR FOLKS WHO WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR NATIONAL DEFENSE.
OUR GOAL HERE IS PRETTY SIMPLE–WE WANT TO HELP YOU HAVE AN INFORMED CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH AMERICA’S MILITARY.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M YOUR HOST, RYAN ROBERTSON, AND WE’RE STARTING THIS WEEK WITH THE U.S. ARMY AND A MISSION YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW IT HAS.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THIS IS NOT A NAVY VESSEL, IT’S AN ARMY LANDING CRAFT. AND AS ARMY LEADERSHIP CONTINUES TO RESHAPE THEIR FORCE
WITH AN EYE ON A POTENTIAL CONFLICT IN THE PACIFIC, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ARMY’S FLEET OF WATERCRAFT CONTINUES TO GROW.
THINK OF THE U.S. ARMY IN ACTION, AND IT’S LIKELY TANKS AND HELICOPTERS ARE PART OF THE PICTURE.
AND WHILE THEY’RE NOT AS CONNECTED WITH THE COUNTRY’S OLDEST BRANCH OF THE MILITARY, WATERCRAFT PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE ARMY’S POWER PROJECTION. ESPECIALLY IN PLACES LIKE THE INDO-PACIFIC. IT’S RESPONSIBLE FOR MOVING SUPPLIES, EQUIPMENT, AND TROOPS IN DEEP OCEAN WATER, SHALLOW COASTAL WATERS, INLAND WATERWAYS, AND RIVERS.
[COL William Arnold, Chief of Transportation, U.S. Army Transportation Corps]
“I liken it to having a bunch of different tools in the toolbox that we can employ in that dynamic distribution network that I just described, sea lines of communication, airlines of communication and ground lines of communication and watercraft will be a connector of many of those different other modes and bringing that to bear. ”
[Ryan Robertson]
COLONEL WILLIAM ARNOLD IS THE CHIEF OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THE U.S. ARMY’S TRANSPORTATION CORPS. AT THIS YEAR’S AUSA GLOBAL FORCE SYMPOSIUM IN ALABAMA, HE LED A SESSION FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE OF ARMY WATERCRAFT, ACKNOWLEDGING WHILE THE ARMY’S CURRENT FLEET OF VESSELS IS AGING, IT’S STILL CAPABLE OF MEETING MISSION DEMANDS, AND AT SOME POINT, INTEGRATING WITH EMERGING TECH.
[COL William Arnold, Chief of Transportation, U.S. Army Transportation Corps]
“We’re looking for help to understand, how can we do littoral mapping without having to put mariners in the water to go figure out what beach gradients are, for example, to see if we can beach one of our watercraft. We’re looking for capabilities that are out there to can do that rapidly, be able to use AI to feed decisions back into the Mariner populations before we decide we’re going to bring that, bring any vessel or any capabilities to a beach, for example.”
[Ryan Robertson]
ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE, HERE’S WHAT THE ARMY HAS AT ITS DISPOSAL, AND WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON.
EIGHT LOGISTICS SUPPORT VESSELS, THAT ARE CAPABLE OF DELIVERING VEHICLES AND GENERAL CARGO.
17 LCUs, THAT STANDS FOR LANDING CRAFT UTILITY, CAPABLE OF DELIVERING 350 SHORT TONS OF CARGO OR 320 COMBAT EQUIPPED PERSONNEL.
NEXT UP, NINE LCMs, THAT’S LANDING CRAFT MECHANIZED, THOSE CARRY TROOPS, CARGO, AND EQUIPMENT.
THERE ARE SIX SMALL TUGS FOR REPOSITIONING OTHER WATERCRAFT.
AND 30 MODULAR CAUSEWAY SYSTEMS, FOR A TOTAL OF 70 WATERCRAFT.
PLUS THE ARMY IS EXPECTED TO ACQUIRE 13 NEW MANEUVER SUPPORT VESSELS BY 2036.
[COL William Arnold, Chief of Transportation, U.S. Army Transportation Corps]
“That capability, right there is really new, new capability that we’re bringing in that can maneuver in the tactical zone and maneuver forces very rapidly in and around the littoral areas. ”
[Ryan Robertson]
BRIGADIER GENERAL SHANE UPTON OF THE ARMY FUTURES COMMAND TELLS US ARMY LEADERSHIP IS ALSO LOOKING TO INDUSTRY PARTNERS AND EMBRACING THE OPPORTUNITIES AUTONOMOUS VESSELS OFFER A FORCE WITH A GROWING LIST OF RESPOSIBILITIES, WHILE EXPERIENCING POTENTIALLY TIGHTER BUDGETS.
[BG Shane Upton, Dir., Contested Logistics Cross-Functional Team, Army Futures Command]
“We’re going to put autonomous boats in the water as the Army, and we’re going to pair them with those those mariners, and have them learn the collaborative behaviors, how to command and control them, give us an assessment and feedback from a soldier that does this for the United States Army in a forward theater,”
[Ryan Robertson]
CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER NICHOLAS LAFERTE, WITH THE ARMY’S COMBINED ARMS SUPPORT COMMAND, SAYS ITS ABOUT EMBRACING THE IDEA OF DOING A LOT MORE WITH LESS.
[CW5 Nicholas Laferte, Combined Arms Support Command]
“We’re open to tears of autonomy on our current craft, how we can just take one step up the ladder to potentially reduce that load and make those war fighters lives a little bit more focused, right? Let their focused energy be on the threat at his hand.”
[Ryan Robertson]
FOR ALL THAT’S DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE ARMY AND NAVY’S FLEETS, THERE ARE PARALLELS, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF MAINTENCE. ACCORDING TO THAT GAO REPORT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER–
THE ARMY’S WATERCRAFT FLEET EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN ITS “FULLY MISSION CAPABLE” RATE, FALLING FROM 75% IN 2020 TO LESS THAN 40% IN 2024. MAJOR GENERAL MICHAEL LALOR, OF THE ARMY’S TANK-AUTOMOTIVE AND ARMAMENTS COMMAND IS BACKING A PUSH FOR 3-D PRINTING, IN THE FIELD, TO TURN THINGS AROUND.
[MG Michael Lalor, Commander, Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command]
“The idea is, fix forward, deliver forward and, and this particular level of maintenance and watercraft is ripe for it, because no two watercraft as all you know out there many of you who are near and dear to your heart, none of them are the same. They’re snowflakes. And so there’s all sorts of non standard parts that could be advanced manufactured. And honestly, it’s a great it’s a great ground for expansion of technology and solving problems.”
[Ryan Robertson]
SO, WHAT’S NEXT? HOW DOES THE ARMY’S FLEET OVERCOME ITS MAINTENANCE ISSUES AND STAND READY FOR ACTION IN THE PACIFIC SHOULD THE CALL COME? FIRST, GENERAL LALOR SAYS, LIKE THE NAVY, THE ARMY IS ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR ALLIED PARTNERS TO HELP BRIDGE THE GAP.
[MG Michael Lalor, Commander, Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command]
“We are in next year, going to expand our ability to contract maintenance to other countries that we haven’t used before, predominantly been West Coast, East Coast, Hawaii, Japan, Korea. Now we’re going to see us expand to Guam, Singapore, Philippines, Australia, you name it. I’ve been to most of them in the last six months trying to drum up some business. And business will be good”
[Ryan Robertson]
AS FOR ADDING WATERCRAFT?
IN MARCH, THEN DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE U.S. ARMY PACIFIC, MAJOR GENERAL JEFFREY VANANTWERP TOLD ‘STARS AND STRIPES’ IN A CONFERENCE CALL…
“That leased vessels provide a pretty phenomenal capability and a pretty high level of readiness.”
NO WORD YET ON HOW MANY, IF ANY, VESSALS HAVE BEEN LEASED.
ALL RIGHT, JOINED NOW BY SUPER PRODUCER BRETT BAKER. BRETT, WHEN WE WERE PUTTING THE STORY TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE ARMY USING SHIPS BEFORE, BUT REALLY, WHEN WE, YOU KNOW, START DOING THE RESEARCH ON IT, IT’S REALLY SURPRISING HOW MANY BOATS THE ARMY HAS.
[Brett Baker]
I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, WE’VE LEARNED A LOT, I THINK, IN THE COURT SINCE, YOU KNOW, WE STARTED PRODUCING THIS SHOW. AND YEAH, I DIDN’T, I DIDN’T REALLY KNOW THAT THE ARMY EVEN HAD BOATS OR VESSELS. AND YEAH, SO I THINK IT’S A REALLY INTERESTING PART OF THE PUZZLE, ESPECIALLY WITH HOW THEY’RE BUILDING THINGS FOR THE INDO PACIFIC AND WHERE THEY THINK THINGS ARE GOING TO GO. THESE THINGS ARE GOING TO PLAY A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN WHATEVER THAT BECOMES. SO IT’S OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT FOR THE ARMY TO PUT A PRIORITY ON THAT AND KIND OF GET WHERE THEY NEED TO BE. WHICH ARE THEY NOT, RIGHT NOW.
[Ryan Robertson]
RIGHT? AND THE IDEA OF LEASING SOME VESSELS, I MEAN THAT THAT COULD BE A GOOD MOVE IN A PINCH. BUT WHEN YOU LEASE A VESSEL, YOU DON’T OWN THE VESSEL. AND, I MEAN, WE DID A STORY ON, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT TO REPAIR, YOU KNOW, LAST WEEK. SO IT’S LIKE, IF I JUST HAVE KIND OF SOME QUALMS ABOUT IT, WHEN YOU LEASE IT, DON’T OWN IT. CAN THE OWNER REFUSE TO LET YOU USE IT FOR A TIME. I MEAN, IT JUST KIND OF INTRODUCES SOME QUAGMIRE. SO OWNING IS USUALLY BETTER WHEN IT COMES TO MILITARY EQUIPMENT, IN MY OPINION.
[Brett Baker]
DEFINITELY AN INTERESTING WORKAROUND, I WILL SAY, OBVIOUSLY, THOUGH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LEASE IT, THEN MAYBE YOU’VE GOT MORE READILY ACCESS TO IT THAN WHAT THEY’VE GOT RIGHT NOW. I MEAN, RIGHT NOW THEY’RE IN A SHORTFALL FROM THE VESSELS THEY NEED. ONE THING I WAS THINKING IS, AND I’M GOING TO CHECK THE NOTES HERE. YOU KNOW, THEY’RE REPLACING THE LET’S TIGHTEN THIS UP ON THE END OF THE LCMS. THE LANDING CRAFT MECHANIZED WITH THE MSRV LIGHTS THE MANEUVER SUPPORT VEHICLE LIGHT, I CAN SEE A SCENARIO WHERE THEY KEEP BOTH OF THOSE FOR A TIME. IF THEY’RE IN THE NEED, BECAUSE THEY’VE ALREADY GOT THEM. YES, THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE REPLACED AND CYCLED OUT. BUT IF YOU NEED THE VESSELS, YOU’VE GOT VESSELS. SO I COULD SEE A PLACE WHERE THOSE JUST KIND OF STAY IN. THE OTHER THING I KIND OF FIND INTERESTING IS THEY MAKE IT A REAL POINT. THEY’RE NOT SAILORS. THEY’RE MARINERS. AND SO LIKE, YEAH, I WOULD NEVER THOUGHT AN ARMY MARINER IS KIND OF AN INTERESTING THING. BUT, YEAH, IT’S SOMETHING THE ARMY IS GONNA HAVE TO WORK FOR, WORK HARD FOR, COMING UP IN THESE NEXT FEW YEARS TO TRY TO GET THAT FLEET YOU KNOW WHERE THEY WANT IT TO BE.
[Ryan Robertson]
ABSOLUTELY AND WE HAVE SOME MORE FLEET NEWS TO TALK ABOUT IN OUR HEADLINE SEGMENT. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, BRETT, LET’S GET TO IT.
