June 6 was an important date in American history that honored the brave military servicemen and women who invaded Hitler’s fortress: Europe. That anniversary combined with the ongoing tension in the South China Sea and even the rescue of the individuals from the flooded cave in Thailand continually reinforces the importance of amphibious operations.
However, the last amphibious invasion by the United States happened in 1950 during the Korean War. That invasion had pretty much the same technology that fought in World War II, so there are significant questions about modern American capabilities.
The website Stratfor wrote a review that presented significant challenges. During the Normandy invasion, for example, Germans had the inaccurate 88mm flak gun. Today the landing craft would be vulnerable to anti-tank missiles from hardened, onshore batteries. Precision-guided munitions such as cruise missiles or the new hypersonic missiles of China would force American ships even farther away from shore and would leave the amphibious assault vehicles vulnerable for longer periods of time.
The airborne soldiers who landed behind enemy lines to disrupt enemy communications and hold key choke points would also be vulnerable to modern-day and more sophisticated anti-air batteries and radar. Stratfor goes on to say how the Marine Corps lacks operable landing craft, and they are still searching for faster vehicles that can transport forces from ships to the ground.
(Credit: Pixabay/Military_Material)
This presents a disturbing picture that suggests that the age of amphibious operations is over. But it discounts the tactical changes enabled by advances in American technology. For example, ships might have to stay as far as 65 miles away from the shore to remain safe from enemy missiles. But since World War II, the US has developed and then repurposed ballistic missile subs. These Ohio-class submarines can close to within miles of the shore and launch as many as 150 cruise missiles in six minutes’ time with minimal detection on radar and then move away to reload.
In short, they have incredible first-strike ability. The US used this ship in Libya to soften anti-missile defenses, hit command and control centers, and increase US air superiority. The air assets could then attack and destabilize further resistance with impunity. The Ohio-class submarines followed up by airpower provide the kind of softening that the D-Day invasion didn’t have.
And the sub is just one system that can launch hundreds of missiles. The US has missile cruisers, capital ships, and numerous ground-attack fighters that can soften up enemy defenses. Again, as with the missile submarines, this would debilitate the enemy’s ability to resist an invasion. Airborne soldiers could still be used after significant softening up by American missiles and artillery. But the more likely course would be to insert Special Forces that operate in the same role.
These forces already have an impressive track record during the War on Terror. In tough terrain with minimal oversight and operational support, they could conduct missions alone, in combination with regular American forces, or in association with indigenous forces in Afghanistan and now Syria to perform the same role as airborne soldiers. They could be used with even more secrecy than the airborne soldiers of yesterday and have a pinpoint and devastating effect in disrupting enemy missile batteries, holding key choke points, and destroying command and control centers.
There is new technology that makes old ways obsolete. Aging and slow-landing craft as well as parachuting infantry would be easy targets for modern missiles. But those new missiles and new technology also give America new avenues of approach to support and make an amphibious assault. While the process might change, 21st-century amphibious assaults remain possible and important.
