The Marine Corps is buying a new connector vessel designed for littoral maneuver and sustainment that could help deliver a "bridging solution" for forward-deployed forces ahead of Landing Ship Medium fielding. Littoral mobility is a priority for the service and LSM procurement is scheduled to begin in fiscal year 2025. Though a fleet of LSMs will eventually ferry personnel and equipment around the Indo-Pacific, the vessels will not begin delivering until FY-29 and won’t be ready to fully support the...