US Marines Test Latest Shallow Water Mine Clearing Technology In 3 Week Exercise

A shallow water exercise by two US Marine Expeditionary Forces successfully tested an array of new technology to facilitate shore landings, including unmanned systems to clear mines, the Marine Corps said on Thursday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th December, 2021) A shallow water exercise by two US Marine Expeditionary Forces successfully tested an array of new technology to facilitate shore landings, including unmanned systems to clear mines, the Marine Corps said on Thursday.

"The three week exercise featured experimentation on new technologies such as the Vapor 55 unmanned aerial system, the Fusion Strategic Robotics System, and the REMUS unmanned underwater vehicle, as well as cross-training with US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal mobile Unit 1, underscoring the importance of integrating new capabilities," the Marine Corps said in a press release.

A recently formed Littoral Engineer Reconnaissance Team (LERT), with Marines from the I and III Expeditionary Forces, is trained to employ personnel and unmanned systems to identify, update and confirm or deny suitable beach landing sites for follow-on forces ashore, the release said.

"However, once man-made or natural obstacles are identified, the LERT turns the fight over to the Littoral Explosive Ordnance Neutralization platoon or Naval Mine Countermeasures Company to render that threat safe, according to the LERT officer in charge, First Lt. Brandon Cavil said in the release.

During the exercise, LERT Marines gained access to a semi-permissive beach and reconnoitered multiple objectives with the Vapor-55 drone and small reconnaissance elements to locate, identify, and observe potential landing zones, the release added.

Simultaneously, Marines in rubber combat raiding craft used the underwater drone to identify subsurface mines and other explosive hazards, according to the release.