Speaking at the CNE 2023 conference in Farnborough on 23 May, Captain Nick Unwin, Commando Force programme director, said that top-level requirements called for a vessel “that can carry a strike team and a small vehicle in from 150 miles, at 25 knots plus and with a low signature,” adding: “That’s the challenge we’ve set to industry.”
The Commando Force vision seeks to transform UK amphibious forces into a more agile and lethal capability optimised for persistent forward deployment in a range of combat and non-combat roles. Attendant to this shift is a recapitalisation programme intended to deliver new equipment and shipping.
As a replacement for the LCVP Mk 5, which entered service in 1996 and is planned to retire in 2027, the CIC is envisaged as a new-generation medium lift craft that can deliver Royal Marine Commando teams and their equipment from ships some distance offshore without detection. The requirement reflects a view that amphibious operations – including beach assaults – must adopt radical new approaches to overcome modern coastal defences.
“Signature management is a critical part. But of course there is a trade-off between signatures, speed, and comfort [for those on board]. The challenge to industry is [to come in from] 150 miles. At this stage we don’t know if that will be possible – we want the force to arrive fit to fight, not thrashed out.”
Captain Nick Unwin, Commando Force Programme Director
The UK’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) earlier this year issued at competitive Novel Amphibious Craft call aimed at identifying new design concepts, technologies and techniques that would address key capability-based challenges associated with CIC. Naval News understands that a number of small-scale contracts have been let to thus far undisclosed companies: outputs from the DASA Novel Amphibious Craft competition will be used to inform the CIC requirements set.
A competition for CIC design, manufacture and support is expected to commence at the end of 2024, with industry sources suggesting a plan to procure over 20 craft. A contract is planned before the end of 2025: the Ministry of Defence’s most recent equipment pipeline update, published in April this year, has declared a budget of £191 million for the programme.
