Marine Corps Lab Accepts Surface Craft Prototype

An Ancillary Surface Craft (ASC) is landed in Bayou La Batre, Alabama, Aug. 3, 2026. The ASC is being developed through U.S.-Australian industry collaboration to support experimentation and inform future amphibious modernization. US Marine Corps photo The Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory recently accepted the first of two Ancillary Surface Craft prototypes, according to a news release published last week.

Ancillary Surface Craft are designed to provide transportation of personnel and supplies to shallow-gradient, unimproved and unsurveyed shorelines. The craft are meant to be able to conduct oceanic transits on its own in contrast to existing platforms like the Landing Craft Air Cushion, which has to be embarked on an amphibious ship. The ASC, once in service, will enable the Marine Corps to move small units armed with anti-ship missiles around the islands of the Pacific as part of its Force Design 2030 transformation.

The ASC is a 150-foot roll-on/roll-off craft, purpose-built to deliver personnel, equipment and fuel over the “last tactical mile,” beaching directly on unimproved shores, reads the MCWL news release.

“The technical acceptance of the ASC underscores the Marine Corps’ commitment to solving the complex challenges of contested logistics during Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO),” reads the news release.

MCWL selected Australian shipbuilder Birdon Group in 2024 to design and build two ASC prototypes. Construction of the ships was undertaken by its U.S. subsidiary Birdon America in partnership with C&C Marine and Repair in Louisiana and began in June 2025.

Following delivery, the first prototype underwent testing and tactical experimentation led by MCWL as part of the Technical Acceptance phase.

“Achieving technical acceptance is a crucial first step in our rigorous testing regimen,” said Aaron Hatfield, Maritime Program Manager, Science and Technology Division, U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory. “This validation assures that the craft’s advanced systems and robust design are ready for MCWL to begin hands-on technical experimentation, ensuring we can meet the extreme operational demands of the Indo-Pacific theater.”

Technical specifications validated during the acceptance process highlight the craft’s exceptional ruggedness and operational utility, said MCWL. The ASC can operate in a Sea State 5 and is designed to survive extreme conditions up to Sea State 7 to ensure safe navigation through uncharted, very shallow littoral waters. The craft is equipped with advanced forward-looking sonar that enables maneuverability across the battlespace. ASCs can transport up to 46 tons of cargo and 40 combat-loaded Marines for a shore-to-shore maneuver, reads the release.

The ASC prototype now moves into limited technical assessments with Birdon America craft masters and engineers partnered with Australian Army crewing support and Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory oversight and assessments.

Concept art of an Ancillary Surface Craft. Birdon graphic “As the U.S. and Australia continue to build combined forces optimized for naval expeditionary warfare and littoral maneuver, the involvement of the Australian Army in the upcoming ASC limited technical assessments is a strong show of allied cooperation and demonstrates an effective way to drive innovation, reduce costs, and secure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” reads the release.

The ASC prototype will also transition into an operational testing phase. The ASC was initially operated by a hybrid crew that paired Marines with seasoned contracted mariners. The Marine Corps will eventually operate the small surface craft independently.

“This prototype allows MCWL to immediately execute hands-on experimentation, test tactical concepts and put real hardware in the hands of Marines. By exploring the ASC’s traditional bow-first beaching physics alongside other experimental platforms, we are actively reducing programmatic risk and perfecting the requirements for the future naval fleet,” said Col. Kenny Jones, Science and Technology Division Director at MCWL.

The ASC is intended to complement the larger Medium Landing Ship. The ASC is sized and configured with a very shallow draft to deliver logistical support to landing sites beyond the reach of larger vessels, according to the release. Taken together, the LSM and ASC give a Stand-in Force a route from an intermediate staging base to the beach without dependence on ports, piers or causeways.

“To support Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO), our forces must remain highly mobile and sustained without relying on fixed, vulnerable ports,” said Jones.

While the primary mission of the ASC is logistics and maneuver, upcoming testing phases will also evaluate various force protection and self-defense configuration, according to the release.

The Marine Corps in previous years conducted several deployments in the Indo-Pacific using the Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport primarily to transport Marine companies and platoons around South East Asia to conduct bilateral training with regional countries. However, the EPFs have limitations in that the vessels have to reduce speed in Sea States 4 and 5 and remain stationary at higher sea states to maintain stability. While the offloading ramp enables the ship to unload vehicles and cargo at austere piers and quay walls, the EPF is unable to beach on the shore.

In comparison, the LSM and ASC are designed to meet the Marine Corps Force Design operational changes where Marines equipped with anti-ship missile platforms such as the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction Systems (NMESIS) would be dispersed and deployed in small groups throughout Pacific islands.

Birdon’s webpage estimates an ASC program requirement for up to 117 vessels by 2029.