T-Craft

MDD has been engaged by Umoe Mandal, USA (UM), to support their ONR T-Craft design program by providing UM with research and design data related to present and expected future amphibious ship and craft operations, US Marine Corps combat vehicle inventories, and cargo handling procedures. This information goes toward guiding UM's engineering team in developing a technology demonstrator that not only fulfils its basic design requirements, but also shows an ability to fill many warfighting capabilities gaps.

ONRs T-Craft Project will yield a technology demonstrator to prove the feasibility to move a large volume of a variety of Marine combat vehicles and equipment from ship-to-shore, in support of Ship-to-Objective Maneuver (STOM) and Operational Maneuver from the Sea (OMFTS) doctrines. These vehicles and equipments will be stored in a variety of legacy and future US Navy and contracted commercial ships, requiring the T-Craft to have a multi-interface capability and to handle disparate-sized and weighted cargo and vehicles, from the smallest HMMWV to the heaviest Grizzly Assault Breaching vehicle. MDD explored all possible ship interfaces, to include well decks, deck edge elevators, topside cranes, side cargo ports, and maritime landing platforms, all with an eye to maximizing the utility and versatility of UM's T-Craft design. Ongoing efforts include interfacing with ONR and Joint warfighting doctrine representatives to develop a total-capabilities approach to how the T-Craft may be best utilized in present and future amphibious operations.