Sep 11, 2024 - Technology

Marine Corps narco-boat slated for more experimentation

Colin Demarest

A semisubmersible boat glides through the water. Birds are seen above it. The water and skies are grey. — An Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel off the coast of California. Photo: Patrick King/DVIDS

Drug runner ingenuity is at the heart of an autonomous craft the U.S. Marine Corps wants to use to ferry weapons, food and fuel into the fiercest fights.

The big picture: The Corps is experimenting with what's known as the Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel — a stealthy 55-foot semisubmersible made possible by the Pentagon's Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve.

What they're saying: "Truth be told, it's just a narco-boat. We stole the idea from friends down south," Brig. Gen. Simon Doran, the head of the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, said at the Defense News Conference.

Zoom in: The robo-ship can carry a pair of Naval Strike Missiles, ship-sinking munitions used in the Navy/Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, or NMESIS.

Catch up quick: Prototypes have been tested a bunch, including at the Army's 2024 Project Convergence, a crucible for cutting-edge tech, connectivity and international coordination.

A Multi-Mission Reconnaissance Craft, meant to shuttle Marines and aid targeting, was also photographed at that event.

What's next: The III Marine Expeditionary Force based in Okinawa, Japan, will get to mess with the Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel this fall.

Add Axios on Google

Marine Corps narco-boat slated for more experimentation

What to read next