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The United States will extend indefinitely the deployment of an unmanned logistics vessel inspired by “narco-boats” used by South American cartels to smuggle drugs. This decision was confirmed by the Marine Corps to Newsweek on Wednesday, and it involves a Japanese outlying island near China.
Based in Okinawa Island, the U.S. III Marine Expeditionary Force is continuing its evaluation and integration of the Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel (ALPV) for operating in “challenging, contested, and complex environments.” Japan, a key U.S. security ally in the Western Pacific, forms part of the First Island Chain along with Taiwan and the Philippines under America’s maritime containment strategy.
China’s rapid military buildup is viewed by Japan as “the greatest strategic challenge,” as Tokyo’s security largely depends on the 55,000 U.S. military personnel stationed there. The ALPV deployment aligns with the U.S. Marine Corps’ operating concepts, which aim to enhance sustainment and operational reach in the contested region.
The change to the ALPV’s deployment schedule was first reported by Japanese media on Tuesday. The drone vessel, initially deployed temporarily last October, will remain indefinitely beyond its original end-of-month deadline. The 62-foot-long and 8.2-foot-wide ALPV has a payload capacity of up to five tons and a range of 2,300 miles. It features a “low-to-the-water visual profile” design that reduces its probability of detection.
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The ALPV is a long-range, semi-submersible autonomous logistics delivery system capable of transporting supplies such as food, water, fuel, ammunition, medical supplies, repair parts, and other equipment throughout the littorals. This autonomous capability enables the U.S. Marine Corps to sustain forces without relying on traditional resupply methods in a contested environment.
Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) is one of the U.S. Marine Corps’ key operating concepts amid China’s growing military threat. It calls for dispersing units over a wide area to make them harder to detect and target, while increasing the use of unmanned vessels. Another concept, Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO), benefits from using uncrewed logistics vessels by deploying expeditionary forces from austere, temporary locations within a contested maritime area.
The U.S. III Marine Expeditionary Force stated that the ALPV will remain in Okinawa indefinitely and continue working closely with Japanese authorities to ensure all activities are conducted safely and responsibly. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized at a press conference with Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani that America’s forces operate and train together across domains to uphold deterrence.
It remains to be seen whether the Pentagon will deploy additional advanced capabilities in the Western Pacific, such as the U.S. Army land-based missile system stationed indefinitely in the Philippines near the South China Sea—a move China has denounced as “highly dangerous.”
📚 Reading Comprehension Quiz
What is the primary reason for the United States to extend indefinitely the deployment of the Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel (ALPV)?
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