Let’s say that you are a bad guy and you happen to see this big boy coming your way…only it is twice the size, laden with Marines, tanks, and other things that will make you day end badly. We’re pretty sure you won’t be able to run far or fast enough but we’d recommend running because the thunder is rolling in and this is the landing craft that will be carrying it. Currently (as we understand it) the Marines typically use hovercraft as landing vehicles. This is the new Ultra Heavy Amphibious Landing Vehicle, at least the test model, and it will someday supplant the hovercrafts for landing Marines on terra firma. What makes it cool? The “tracks” are exceptionally neat because they are effective paddles while the thing is on the water and then once it hits land the tough foam blocks that made up the “treads” simply lay over and the vehicle is capable of traversing any number of types of terrain.
Here’s where things get really interesting. The hovercrafts currently employed by the Marines allow a launch about 86 nautical miles from the landing point and they have a payload of about 60 tons, which is the equivalent of one battle tank. The UHAC has a payload capacity of 190 flipping tons and that means three tanks can set sail aboard this machine and make it to shore. The range? Yeah, these babies could be launched 200 nautical miles away from the landing zone. The one you will see in the video is 42-feet long, 17-feet tall, and 26 feet wide. The production version will be 84 feet long, 34 feet tall, and 52 feet wide. Hello!
The vehicles are being tested in all different types of terrain and believe it or not, this sucker can supposedly scale a 10-foot tall sea wall without a hiccup. Like all things there is a downside. The current vehicle can travel at about 40 knots where as there guys can move at about 20. This is more of dump truck with a go-anywhere four wheel drive system versus the current vehicle which is a light duty pickup with a big block in it. We like dump trucks.
Watch the video below and tell us what you think. You may want to fast forward through some of theĀ seafaring portion of the footage because it’ll lull you to sleep but skip to the moment right before it starts to touch land and watch this big guy climb out of the sea. We think it is really, really neat.
Thanks to Pat for the tip!
PRESS PLAY BELOW TO SEE THE MARINES NEW UHAC IN TESTING –
A miserably slow, lumbering target, better at giving rides through the Everglades . An expensive “B O O N D O G G L E”!!
I have to disagree, cargo capacity is a major consideration and while it may only be able to make 20knots, that is still pretty fast for something that can carry that much weight AND get itself on and off of shore. A WWII LST could only make 12knots.
Big deal for the Northern Front in OIF was the ability to get armour on the ground since a C17 can only carry a single M1A2 and while a C5 can carry 2, it needs a lot more runway.
What I think it needs is armament and armour (can’t watch the video) to take small arms fire.
Its a heavy cargo vessel which means it will move in after the beach head is secure.
Would look way cooler if the film was in black and white š
They should name it “Sitting Duck”.
Should give the guyz on shore ample time to destroy this lumbering
POS….
looks like monster garage with pentagon budget that is perfect for WWII the Germans will be caught off Gard on D day someone in the us gov has a company that makes overpriced POS things like this and could not sell to the public so we as a nation will buy 2000 at 40 mill each wast of money never will you see that in battle lame fucking lame.