The U.S. Army has deployed a logistics support vessel to the first island chain to support Indo-Pacific exercises.
The U.S. Army has restationed one of its few logistics support vessels from Hawaii to Japan last month to support Indo-Pacific exercises and bolster the growing fleet of Army watercraft in the first island chain.
“Critical capabilities are being restationed west of the International Dateline to support rehearsal operations within the Indo-Pacific,” read a social media post from Charles Newbegin, 8th Theater Sustainment Command’s Deputy Support Operations Officer.
USAV Lt. General William B. Bunker (LSV-4) and the 545th Harbormaster Detachment departed Pearl Harbor for their reassignment to U.S. Army Japan on June 20. One of eight General Frank S. Besson-class support vessels, the 32-year-old Lt. General William B. Bunker has been a hallmark of Army watercraft operations throughout the Indo-Pacific, ferrying forces and supplies from numerous branches onto beaches and islands throughout the region. The class can carry up to 82 ISO containers or 15 tanks.
Despite the age of the fleet and the service’s previous efforts to divest its boats, demand for Army watercraft has increased amid tensions with China and U.S. efforts to bolster military exercises with allies and partners. A 2024 report from the Government Accountability Office claims that U.S. Army Pacific requirements made up over half of the missions conducted by Army watercraft annually between 2023 and 2025. However, the readiness of the Army fleet and its modernization efforts to meet the service’s Indo-Pacific commitments have been questioned.
While the Lt. General William B. Bunker’s assignment in Japan is unclear, the deployment will put the most capable Army watercraft in the first island chain. The move also comes amid broader service efforts to strengthen its maritime logistics in the East Asian country, following last year’s activation of the 5th Composite Watercraft Company in Yokosuka. This new formation aims to expand the mission profile of the Army’s watercraft, including intratheater lift, water terminal or harbor operations, waterborne tactical and joint amphibious operations, riverine operations and logistics over the shore operations. Former commander of U.S. Army Pacific, Gen. Charles A. Flynn, told reporters that the company will receive up to 14 vessels in the coming years.
Elements of the 5th Composite Watercraft Company transported Philippine Army vehicles and troops from Subic Bay to Northern Luzon last month in a multi-modal maneuver exercise that tested U.S. and Philippine abilities to maneuver throughout the Southeast Asian country’s largest island.
A 2023 2+2 meeting between American and Japanese officials envisioned enhanced watercraft deployments as a way to “further strengthen alliance maritime mobility in Japan.” Aside from U.S. Army efforts, the Japan Self-Defense Force has taken an interest in the Army watercraft fleet amid its plans to form a joint service maritime transportation unit. The unit, which was activated in the spring via locally built watercraft, is envisioned to bolster Tokyo’s ability to deploy forces to the southwestern islands of the Ryukyus.
