Small amphibious ships and the distances of the first island chain

Are there any promising developments in amphibious and logistics ships?

Proposed British amphibious vessels and commercial landing-ship designs offer possibilities. Orders, survivability requirements, and a coherent plan for Pacific operations remain unresolved concerns.

Clarke sees promise in Britain's proposed multi-role amphibious vessels, while stressing that the ships had not yet been ordered. Mercogliano identifies a conflict between Marines seeking an expendable connector and Navy requirements for a more robust Landing Ship Medium. Commercial designs already offer vessels suited to moving troops and equipment between islands. Operating them inside the first island chain still raises the problem of defending the ships and sustaining the forces they carry. Missile range also needs to be judged against Pacific distances: a missile battery cannot engage ships that stay outside its reach. Mercogliano questions whether the separate service concepts form a coherent joint plan comparable in purpose to Plan Orange.