The Whiskey Project has unveiled their latest Whiskey watercraft – the WHISKEY Multi Mission Reconnaissance Craft (WHISKEY MMRC) – to key US government and military defence stakeholders in Washington DC.
The result of a two-year collaboration with USMC veterans, WHISKEY MMRC is purpose-designed and built to meet the US military's strategic maritime modernisation to address near peer and evolving threats – with specific emphasis on the United States Marine Corps’ (USMC) pivot to the Indo-Pacific.
Following on from the recent announcement of the establishment of the AUKUS alliance with the United States and the United Kingdom, The Whiskey Project says it looks to build upon AUKUS’ intent by significantly deepening their cooperation with the USMC on a range of security and defence capabilities.
“This is more than just an export opportunity of Australian designed and owned defence assets into the U.S,” said The Whiskey Project’s Chief Operating Officer Ryan Carmichael. “It’s about Australia driving innovation to deliver the most capable combatant craft the world has ever seen, for use in a theatre on our doorstep, by our closest ally.”
The USMC Commandant’s Planning Guidance suggests that the simultaneous development of amphibious capability could provide a further opportunity to strengthen US-Australia bilateral relations, and that joint capability development could improve interoperability.
“The WHISKEY MMRC provides the opportunity to achieve combatant craft with a common hull, a common technology, a common supply and sustainment chain between two ‘great friends of freedom’,” said Carmichael. “In anticipation of USMC watercraft operating in-region amongst Australia’s riverine and littoral capabilities, the provision of fit-for-purpose watercraft that enable joint capability and interoperability also delivers a meaningful force-multiplier effect.”