US Marines Deploy Own 'Narco-Boats' Near China
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The United States will extend the deployment of an unmanned logistics vessel inspired by "narco-boats" used by South American cartels to smuggle drugs indefinitely on a Japanese outlying island near China, the Marine Corps confirmed to Newsweek on Wednesday.
The U.S. III Marine Expeditionary Force based on Okinawa Island in Japan's southwestern waters said it is continuing its evaluation and integration of the Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel (ALPV) for operating in "challenging, contested, and complex environments."
Newsweek reached out to the Chinese defense and foreign ministries via email for comment.
Why It Matters
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, which seeks to restrict China's military activities within its nearby waters in the event of war.
China's rapid military buildup, including the growth of its missile arsenal and the expansion of its naval presence, is viewed by Japan as "the greatest strategic challenge," as Tokyo's security largely depends on the 55,000 U.S. military personnel stationed in the country.
As part of the most capable U.S. military units deployed in the Indo-Pacific, the deployment of the ALPV and other autonomous capabilities aligns with the U.S. Marine Corps' operating concepts, which aim to enhance sustainment and operational reach in the contested region.
What To Know
The change to the ALPV's deployment schedule was first reported by Japanese media on Tuesday, stating that the drone vessel, initially deployed temporarily to Okinawa last October, will remain on the island indefinitely, beyond its original end-of-month deadline.
United States Marines operate an Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel at Naha Military Port in Okinawa, Japan, on January 17, 2025.
United States Marines operate an Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel at Naha Military Port in Okinawa, Japan, on January 17, 2025.
Lance Cpl. Rodney Frye/U.S. Marine Corps
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, according to its Virginia-based manufacturer, Leidos. It features a design with a "low-to-the-water visual profile" that reduces its probability of detection.
Cartels in South America have widely deployed low-profile vessels, including the so-called "narco-submarines," for drug smuggling operations to other regions, as these vessels can evade detection by riding low in the water, according to naval warfare expert H.I. Sutton.
The ALPV is a long-range, semi-submersible autonomous logistics delivery system for the U.S. Marine Corps, capable of transporting supplies such as food, water, fuel, ammunition, medical supplies, and repair parts, as well as other equipment throughout the littorals.
The employment of the ALPV will enhance training, readiness, and the sustainment of distributed maritime forces, the III Marine Expeditionary Force told Newsweek.
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.
This autonomous capability enables the U.S. Marine Corps to sustain forces without relying on traditional resupply methods, which may be vulnerable in a contested environment, a Marine said in February after training with the ALPV at Naha Military Port in Okinawa.
Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) is another U.S. Marine Corps operating concept that may benefit from the use of uncrewed logistics vessels. It calls for deploying expeditionary forces from austere, temporary locations within a contested maritime area.
A United States Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel operates in open water near Naha Military Port in Okinawa, Japan, on January 17, 2025.
A United States Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel operates in open water near Naha Military Port in Okinawa, Japan, on January 17, 2025.
Lance Cpl. Rodney Frye/U.S. Marine Corps
What People Are Saying
The U.S. III Marine Expeditionary Force told Newsweek: "The ALPV will remain in Okinawa indefinitely and [III Marine Expeditionary Force] will continue working closely with the Government of Japan, Ministry of Defense, and prefectural authorities to ensure all activities are conducted safely and responsibly."
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a press conference with Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani in Tokyo on March 29: "America's warriors stand shoulder to shoulder every day with their Japan Self Defense Force counterparts. Our forces operate and train together across all domains to uphold deterrence. America and Japan stand firmly together in the face of aggressive and coercive actions by the Communist Chinese."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether the Pentagon will deploy additional advanced capabilities in the Western Pacific. A U.S. Army land-based missile system is stationed indefinitely in the Philippines near the South China Sea—a move China has denounced as "highly dangerous."
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