Send in the Marines -- On Foam Pads

Is this the Marine Corps new landing vehicle? It’s called the Ultra Heavy-Lift Amphibious Connector (UHAC) and those paddles are some kind of high-density foam — buoyant enough to provide heavier lift than the Corps has ever enjoyed, and sturdy enough to drive them up on land.

Seems like a nice trick for when you need to bring heavy equipment ashore, like so:

Another advantage to the UHAC, Pineiro said, is its range: 200 nautical miles to the LCAC’s 86. And unlike the LCAC, when the UHAC arrives onshore, it can keep on going, thanks to low pressure captive air cells in the tracks. At about a pound per square inch, the UHAC can cross mud flats and tidal marsh areas. And the tracks can crawl over a sea wall of up to 10 feet, he said — all important features during a beach assault.

Go deep with the Osprey to secure the airfields, while taking the beachhead with the UHAC — that’s a nifty one-two punch.