Marines complete CH-53E ship-to-shore and shore-to-ship transport of JLTV

By Nick Wilson / August 10, 2022 at 3:12 PM

The Marine Corps successfully completed ship-to-shore and shore-to-ship transport of a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle using a CH-53E Super Stallion -- the first time that a Marine JLTV was moved from shore to ship by air.

The successful operation demonstrates the capabilities of both systems and opens the door for new Expeditionary Advanced Base Operation (EABO) applications, according to an Aug. 10 announcement from the service.

The exercise was a combined effort that included the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit logistics combat element, Combat Logistics Battalion (CLB) 31, and the aviation combat element, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squdron-262.

The CH-53E first lifted the JLTV from a military training area in Okinawa, Japan and carried it over water to Expeditionary Sea Base Miguel Keith (ESB-5). The CH-53E then performed multiple lifts to simulate the establishment of an expeditionary advanced base from naval amphibious shipping, before carrying the vehicle back to shore.

“CLB-31 is focused on challenging and realistic training that employs expeditionary advanced base logistical resupply and prepositioning of critical equipment in support of the Naval Expeditionary Force,” said CLB-31 commanding officer Lt. Col. Matthew Verdin in a statement included in the press release.

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