Marines test new beach assault vehicle

[Bester]

You misunderstand. It's not supposed to replace hovercrafts, it's supposed to help steal dollars from the budget.

 

Also, when I imagine this ww1-looking monstrosity dive nose deep into huge ocean waves, it makes me laugh so hard that I think building it was worth the effort.

Edited July 23, 2014 by Bester

[BruceVC]

But guys lets be realistic, when do you ever think the US Marines will ever have to attack a well defended beach again? The USA generally  always has control of the air. So they would bomb any well defended beach position  back to the stone-age before they take the chance that hundreds of Marines may die in some sort of beach assault. This is not Normandy or the Pacific campaign against  the Japanese.

 

I think this vehicle is just a way to transport  Marines onto the beach, its not really suppose to survive a seriously aggressive frontal attack?

Edited July 24, 2014 by BruceVC

[Nepenthe]

But then they shouldn't call it an "assault craft", should they. I mean, if it's not meant for assaulting...

 

You misunderstand. It's not supposed to replace hovercrafts, it's supposed to help steal dollars from the budget.

 

Also, when I imagine this ww1-looking monstrosity dive nose deep into huge ocean waves, it makes me laugh so hard that I think building it was worth the effort.

 

Perhaps their hovercrafts are full of eels?

[AGX-17]

Helicopters: Still probably a better choice than goofy boats that cost American taxpayers ludicrous amounts of money.

 

Fun fact: Helicopters can fly at low enough altitudes to evade radar detection. THANKS DOD. I'M SURE THAT JOINT-STRIKE FIGHTER WILL TOTALLY BE WORTH IT IN THE END. What could be more convenient than having a bunch of psuedo-VTOLs on aircraft carriers which have done a bang-up job of launching and landing regular jets for half a century? (Mad props for your continuing competence, U.S. Navy.)

 

Seriously, spend some goddamn money on a space elevator and we'll own space, America. Not that you dimwits in congress would understand that, because Christ. You know how much Space is worth? A hell of a lot more than a beach in arabia or whatever, that's how much.

Edited July 26, 2014 by AGX-17

[Walsingham]

But guys lets be realistic, when do you ever think the US Marines will ever have to attack a well defended beach again? The USA generally  always has control of the air. So they would bomb any well defended beach position  back to the stone-age before they take the chance that hundreds of Marines may die in some sort of beach assault. This is not Normandy or the Pacific campaign against  the Japanese.

 

I think this vehicle is just a way to transport  Marines onto the beach, its not really suppose to survive a seriously aggressive frontal attack?

 

Firstly, opposed beach landings have not gone away just because John Wayne is dead. Beaches are where countries start, and where countries start wars begin.

 

Secondly, with no unfriendly emphasis, helicopters are a **** of a lot more fragile than any boat. And more expensive. And can't carry as much. And a helicopter pilot costs a lot more money to train  and so on and so on.

[Woldan]

And can't carry as much. And a helicopter pilot costs a lot more money to train  and so on and so on.

Pff, the Mi-26 can carry small airliners.  

 

 

 

The new beach assault vehicle doesn't seem to have much loading space either. What does it hold, two humvees, one Bradley?

Edited July 26, 2014 by Woldan

[Gfted1]

^That's a 50% mockup. When completed it will carry 3 x M1 Abrams and a Humvee.