Compass Points - Tech Lessons
New tech has old lessons
Compass Points - Tech Lessons
New tech has old lessons
July 15, 2025
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Two recent reports about new technology provide old lessons about warfighting.
The first report is about DARPA's long delayed Liberty Lifter seaplane project which has finally been canceled. As author Noah Bennett reports in his article, "$100 Million Vanished and Nothing Flew: DARPA’s Canceled Liberty Lifter Seaplane Leaves Behind a Trail of Broken Dreams and Game-Changing Tech"
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The cancellation of DARPA’s Liberty Lifter project marks another chapter in the complex narrative of military and aerospace innovation. While hopes were high for this ambitious endeavor, the decision to terminate the project underscores the inherent challenges in developing revolutionary technologies. From the outset, Liberty Lifter was envisioned as a game-changer, a seaplane capable of performing heavy-lift operations using the Wing-In-Ground effect. Despite the project’s promise, DARPA’s recent announcement serves as a reminder of the unpredictable path of innovation, marked by both breakthroughs and setbacks.
The Grand Vision of the Liberty Lifter
The Liberty Lifter was not just any seaplane; it was a bold attempt to redefine logistics and disaster response capabilities. Drawing inspiration from Howard Hughes’s iconic Spruce Goose, this modern rendition aimed to harness advanced composite materials to build a seaplane with unparalleled range and payload capacity. The project was contracted to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences, promising a demonstrator aircraft comparable in size to the C-130 Hercules.
The ultimate goal was to construct an eight-engine, full-size version with a payload rivaling the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, capable of carrying 170,000 lbs. Its envisioned range of 12,000 nautical miles underscored the ambitious nature of the project. Furthermore, the Liberty Lifter was designed to operate in challenging sea conditions, making it viable for both military and humanitarian missions. The project’s cancellation, however, highlights the difficulties in translating such grand visions into reality.
-- Noah Bennett
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Like Howard Hughes's famous Spruce Goose, DARPA's Liberty Lifter will never be more than an expensive dream. But at least DARPA did not make an even bigger error. DARPA did not have the Air Force divest itself of actual functioning logistics aircraft on the hope that the Liberty Lifter one day would fly out of the sky, land, and provide instant logistic support. The Liberty Lifter is never going to be operational.
As the Liberty Lifter technology project is canceled, another technology project begins.
Another article reports, "We Just Changed Naval Warfare Forever”: US Unveils World’s Most Advanced Warship With Devastating 44-Ton Payload Capacity." The article is about the AIRCAT Bengal MC, the world's most advanced autonomous naval missile vessel.
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The unveiling of the AIRCAT Bengal MC marks a significant milestone in military technology, showcasing an impressive leap in naval capabilities. This state-of-the-art autonomous vessel, the brainchild of Eureka Naval Craft in partnership with Australian marine autonomy specialists, stands out as a groundbreaking innovation. Designed as a multi-mission Surface Effect Ship, the Bengal MC boasts advanced features that promise to revolutionize naval warfare. With the ability to operate both crewed and autonomously, it offers unparalleled flexibility and cost efficiency. As global tensions rise, such technological advancements are crucial for maintaining strategic superiority.
Revolutionizing Naval Warfare with Advanced Capabilities
The AIRCAT Bengal MC is not just any naval vessel; it represents a new era of autonomous warfare technology. Designed to carry a significant payload of 44 tons, this vessel can transport two 40-foot ISO footprint modules at remarkable speeds exceeding 50 knots. Its range of 1,000 nautical miles ensures that it can reach distant theaters of operation without the need for frequent refueling. The ship is not only versatile but also lethal, equipped to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles and Naval Strike Missiles. Such capabilities de-risk the reliance on larger, more expensive crewed warships, making it a strategic asset for navies worldwide.
The vessel is targeted at major naval powers, including the US Navy, the US Marine Corps, and allies such as AUKUS and NATO countries. Additionally, countries like Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines may find this vessel an attractive addition to their fleets. The Bengal MC’s ability to operate autonomously and its compatibility with advanced missile systems make it a formidable force in modern naval warfare.
-- Noah Bennett
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For some time the Marine Corps has been trying to put together a string of sensor and missile units off the coast of China. But the anti-ship missile mission can already be better accomplished by missiles from Navy F35s, by surface and subsurface ships, by Army land-based missiles, and by Air Force aircraft missiles. And one day, soon perhaps, to all those anti-ship missile options will be added the AIRCAT Bengal MC, the world's most advanced autonomous naval missile vessel. The autonomous AIRCAT Begnal MC may turn out to be a powerful option for the US military. Or it may not. The autonomous vessel could turn out to be like the Liberty Lifter logistics aircraft, long on promise but short on performance.
Still, both the Liberty Lifter and the Bengal MC have warfighting lessons for the Marine Corps.
The lesson of the canceled Liberty Lifter is as old as the very first new technology. The lesson is never get rid of old technology that works today, until the new technology actually arrives. Because the new technology, like the Liberty Lifter, may never arrive.
The new concept autonomous missile ship, the Bengal MC, has another lesson about warfighting. It is about fire and maneuver. Fires are always valuable, but mobile fires are more valuable than stationary fires.
The Marine Corps for decades has always been careful to follow these two rules. First, the Marine Corps regularly updated its weapons, equipment, and technology, but was always careful to never get rid of older technology until the new technology actually arrived.
Second, the Marine Corps across the decades has always favored mobile fires. The Marine Corps put forward deployed, flexible Marine infantry on Navy amphibious ships supported by mobile fire support from artillery and aircraft so the Marines could respond to a variety of missions around the globe.
Perhaps DARPA and the Liberty Lifter have another lesson for the Marine Corps. After canceling the Liberty Lifter program, is DARPA sitting around mourning? Not at all. DARPA tried something new. It did not work as expected. Now it is time to move on and leave the experiment behind. The whole Liberty Lifter program may also have given DARPA a new appreciation for the aircraft in service that are capable of genuinely accomplishing the heavy lifting today.
For the Marine Corps, the focus on sensor and missile units off the coast of China has not worked. It is time to move beyond the experiment. In a dangerous world, the Nation needs a Marine Corps focused not on a string of missile units off the coast of China, but focused instead on global crisis response. Goodbye to the Liberty Lifter. Hello to the autonomous missile ship. Goodbye to Pacific island missile units. Hello to the enhanced and upgraded, forward deployed Marine crisis response MAGTF.
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Sustainability Times - 07/14/2025
$100 Million Vanished and Nothing Flew: DARPA’s Canceled Liberty Lifter Seaplane Leaves Behind a Trail of Broken Dreams and Game-Changing Tech
The cancellation of DARPA's ambitious Liberty Lifter seaplane project, which aimed to revolutionize heavy-lift logistics and disaster relief operations through innovative use of the Wing-In-Ground effect, underscores the complex challenges and economic realities facing cutting-edge aerospace developments.
By Noah Bennett
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Sustainability Times - 07/08/2025
We Just Changed Naval Warfare Forever: US Unveils World’s Most Advanced Warship With Devastating 44-Ton Payload Capacity
The unveiling of the AIRCAT Bengal MC, the world's most advanced autonomous naval missile vessel, marks a groundbreaking leap in military technology, promising to redefine strategic capabilities with its unmatched payload capacity and cutting-edge missile launch systems.
By Noah Bennett
I know the following quote has been used by other commenters on this platform in other postings. I think it is very relevant to today’s posting: “No plan survives first contact with the enemy.” — Helmuth von Moltke the Elder (Prussian Field Marshal)
How does this quote relate to FD? Simple, static missile units can’t adjust dynamically; maneuver units can. The Marine Corps must return to maneuver warfare. If missiles are needed within the MEF, add them as a force multiplier.
I hate to say this; the US Army is innovating and adapting without gutting their units at a much faster rate than the Marine Corps…never thought I would see the day the Army becomes more and more relevant than the Marines on the global stage.
Do not shut down a production line or parts manufacture until the replacement product is being fielded. Low rate production is not very economical but it is your insurance policy. We made this mistake with CH-46’s when the Osprey suffered delay after delay and delay. There is a value in mass and reliability that often exceeds the hollow promise of state of the art promises. As a culture we are quick to fall in love with cutting edge technology or game changer ideas. That is a good thing to a point. It is a disaster when it does not work in time. The premature introduction of the M-16 to replace the M-14 was another classic.