The “Sea Dagger” landing craft is the result of a collaborative development effort between the Virginia-based Leidos Naval Architects, the Royal Navy, and UK Commando Force.
The United Kingdom’s Royal Navy has long held a reputation as one of the world’s most effective naval forces—and its commandos will soon have a new weapon.
The Royal Marines, the UK’s elite amphibious force, has put in an order for 24 Sea Dagger Commando Insertion Craft, an autonomous amphibious watercraft manufactured by US aerospace contractor Leidos—and designed specially for their use.
What’s So Special About the Sea Dagger?
The addition of the Sea Dagger is poised to give the Royal Marines Commandos a major upgrade to their amphibious warfare capabilities. The new vessel is an autonomous amphibious landing craft designed for the modern battlefield.
According to Leidos, the Sea Dagger will be able to exceed 40 knots (approximately 46 miles per hour). Based on company illustrations, the Sea Dagger is a fully enclosed, medium-sized autonomous vessel with a ramp on the bow designed for rapid infiltration and exfiltration of Royal Marines and their tactical vehicles. Moreover, the graphic design illustrations provided by Leidos suggest that the Sea Dagger will have stealth capabilities.
“Unlike historical near-shore landing craft, Sea Dagger delivers a unique combination of naval architecture and high-technology sensors, weapons and C2 (command-and-control) capabilities shaped by the realities of warfare in modern conflicts,” Leidos stated in a company press release.
The Sea Dagger is the result of a collaborative development effort between the Virginia-based Leidos Naval Architects, the Royal Navy, and UK Commando Force. It is designed to operate in coastal and shallow water environments in diverse operational environments, including arctic and warm waters.
“The design builds on more than 30 years of fast-craft expertise and incorporates Leidos technology, including Trusted Mission AI, autonomous systems and integrated weaponry. Operational resilience is central to the concept, with a focus on readiness, availability, maintainability and repairability,” Leidos stated about the design process of the Sea Dagger. “The platform is designed to continue delivering its mission under stress, disruption or attack for an enduring presence in contested environments.”
“Sea Dagger represents a pivotal step in equipping the UK Commando Force with the capability to operate with greater agility, survivability and intent in a complex and congested maritime environment,” Adam Clarke, senior vice president and chief executive at Leidos UK & Europe, said in a company press release.
Amphibious Operations Are Hard—and Britain Is Great at Them
The Royal Marines Commandos are an elite special operations unit specializing in amphibious and Arctic warfare. The unit is usually one of the first to be deployed in the event of a contingency around the world. Royal Marines Commandos freed the Falkland Islands from the Argentine military during the Falklands War, and later saw distinguished service in Iraq and Afghanistan alongside the United States. The UK military is also upgrading the capabilities of its Royal Marines with the addition of new firearms.
“The Leidos design reflects our commitment to delivering resilient, future-ready platforms that can adapt to the complexities of modern warfare, ensuring capability, availability and operational advantage from day one,” Clarke added.
Amphibious operations are some of the most difficult missions in warfare, requiring extensive planning and resources. Even then, success is not guaranteed. The Normandy landings on June 6, 1944—known to history as “D-Day”—was the largest amphibious operation in history, but there was no guarantee of Allied success; had the Germans reacted faster and deployed their panzer divisions in the first crucial hours, the operation could easily have turned into a bloodbath for Allied forces.
Although landing craft like the Sea Dagger are the last piece in a long puzzle, they play a key role in the success of amphibious operations by landing troops safely and quickly.
Speed, surprise, and violence of action are important for the success of an amphibious operation. Thus, the stealthier and faster the vehicles used in an amphibious operation, the greater the chances of success.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock / Ryan Fletcher.
