An autonomous US Navy landing craft was deployed for the first time as part of a NATO exercise outside the continental United States as part of a recentl Joint Logistics Over-The-Shore maneuver (JLOTS).
The maneuver was conducted in support of Defender-Europe 21 in Albania, and saw Leidos showcased the system’s capabilities as part of Autonomous Littoral Connector (ALC), a Marine Corps Warfighting Lab program.
The ALC program – an extension of the Sea Hunter and Seahawk autonomous vessels – has an autonomous LCM-8 and LCU currently part of the Navy’s Assault Craft Unit TWO.
ALC’s participation in the JLOTS exercise was the first demonstration of its ship-to-shore capabilities in an international forum. JLOTS is a joint Army-Navy exercise involving the movement of vehicles, supplies and other warfighting equipment for the rapid deployment of combat-capable forces. By participating in the event, Leidos was able to augment the LCM-8’s existing mission with its autonomous capabilities.
During the exercise, the vessel autonomously beached and was remotely moored by a sailor to the roll-on-roll-off deployment facility. It also autonomously transported a load from the Sealift Command ship to the pier. The mission control system in the events command tent monitored and tasked the craft while providing situational awareness back to the group running the event.
The event is the latest stage in the continued development of autonomous littoral capabilities. Following the exercise, preparations will take place for the deployment of ALC’s autonomous LCU with a Marine Expeditionary Unit.
