L-CAT for the US Army?

via Navy Recognition.

CNIM and FMG will answer the US Army request for proposal (RFP) for the Maneuver Support Vessel Light, MSV(L), program intended to replace the LCM-8 "Mike" landing craft. As part of their agreement, FMG will act as prime contractor and CNIM will be the design agent and provider of some specific equipment.
US based FMG is already working with the US Military and Coast Guard through Marinette Marine, which currently builds the Freedom class littoral combat ship for the US Navy with Lockheed Martin.
The craft proposed to the US Army will be an enhanced and simplified variant of the L-CAT® already in service within the French Navy. In US Army service the L-CAT® derivative would be used for shore to shore and intra-island operations.

Read it all here.

SNAFU!'s take?

I hope that the Army has an 0-6 assigned to the USMC/USN at Quantico monitoring discussions about the sea base and future operating concepts.

The Army has a problem.

Its struggling to make itself relevant and in doing so is lumbering around crashing into walls of its own making.

I've talked to enough leadership at HQMC to know that they're willing to include Army aircraft, seacraft and vehicles into the mix....its up to the Army to make sure that they're procuring gear that enhances the fight rather than causing friction points that will limit their utility.  Will the L-CAT enhance interoperability with the USMC/USN?  I don't know.  The Army better figure it out before they purchase any replacement ship.