Built by Birdon America under a contract awarded in 2024, the roll-on/roll-off vessel is designed to move personnel, equipment and fuel over the “last tactical mile.” Its shallow draft allows it to beach directly on unimproved or unsurveyed shorelines beyond the reach of larger ships.
The program addresses the challenge of sustaining Stand-in Forces during Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations. The Marine Corps used a partnership intermediary contracting strategy to move the project from concept to construction with a nontraditional shipbuilder.
The ASC can carry up to 46 tons of cargo and 40 combat-loaded Marines. It is fully operational in Sea State 5 and designed to survive conditions up to Sea State 7.
Forward-looking sonar is intended to support navigation through uncharted and very shallow littoral waters. The Marine Corps said the system would provide greater maneuverability during shore-to-shore logistics and sustainment missions.
Aaron Hatfield, maritime program manager at the laboratory’s Science and Technology Division, said technical acceptance cleared the prototype for hands-on evaluation. “This validation assures that the craft’s advanced systems and robust design are ready for MCWL to begin hands-on technical experimentation, ensuring we can meet the extreme operational demands of the Indo-Pacific theater.”
The craft will next undergo limited technical assessments involving Birdon America craft masters and engineers. Australian Army personnel will provide crewing support under Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory oversight.
The ASC is intended to operate as an organic capability within the units it supports. It will complement the larger Medium Landing Ship rather than duplicate its role.
The Medium Landing Ship is designed to move forces between islands, while the ASC would deliver supplies from offshore staging points to the beach. Together, the vessels would give Stand-in Forces a route from an intermediate staging base to shore without using a port, pier or causeway.
“To support Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO), our forces must remain highly mobile and sustained without relying on fixed, vulnerable ports,” said Col. Kenny Jones, Science and Technology Division director at the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory. “This prototype allows MCWL to immediately execute hands-on experimentation, test tactical concepts, and put real hardware in the hands of Marines.”
The laboratory will examine the ASC’s traditional bow-first beaching design alongside other experimental platforms. The testing is intended to refine requirements and reduce risk before decisions on future naval capabilities.
During the initial operational phase, the vessel will use a hybrid crew of Marines and experienced contracted mariners. The arrangement will support training before the Marine Corps expands its independent operation of small surface craft.
Logistics and maneuver will remain the ASC’s primary missions. Future testing will also examine force-protection and self-defense configurations for contested maritime environments.
The Australian Army’s participation reflects expanding U.S.-Australian cooperation on naval expeditionary warfare and littoral maneuver. The Marine Corps said the collaboration could support innovation, lower costs and strengthen combined operations in the Indo-Pacific.
