WEBVTT

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(gentle piano music)

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- [Narrator] The Corp
of Engineers has served

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this nation since 1775.

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And it's research and development mission

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supported the military since World War II.

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Our labs were formed decades prior,

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and few people know that we
enabled critical operations

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at D-Day, such as the
amphibious landings at Normandy.

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We advise leaders on challenges

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that they may encounter
with coastal logistics,

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and we executed scaled models
of the Mulberry Harbors

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to understand their response
during high sea stakes.

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We did scaled-testing of float bridges

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and advised the Army on which variance

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performed better in rough conditions.

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And we're the originators
of airfield engineering

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for military operations by addressing

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specialized heavy wheel loads

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that those platforms deliver.

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The matting's used to
expand those airfields

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were developed here and continue
to be improved to this day.

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Our unique perspective on intelligence

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of world-class and austere port locations,

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and how the weather
impacts military operations

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is critical when engineering solutions

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that cross domain boundaries.

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So if you're moving from
the sea to the ground,

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or ground to the air,

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each require an engineering solution.

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In the future, we continue
to advance the state

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of the possible by
developing modern methods

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to cross these boundaries.

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We simulate amphibious vessel
landings in true environments.

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We virtually evaluate
ground vehicle movements

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and the timing farther inland.

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We've also modernized
techniques to collect

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real-time bathymetry
using low-cost sensors

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so that we understand
degrading costal conditions

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before they hinder military operations.

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And if those conditions are not conducive

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to the military's needs,

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we've developed robotic dredges

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to manipulate the environment

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into something more compatible
with watercraft vessels.

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We've developed new models that can

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predict how our causeways will
operate in extreme sea states

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to better inform go, no go decisions

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on when operations should cease.

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And if bare beach operations are abandoned

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and we need access to a full port,

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we've delivered semi-autonomous
reconnaissance vessels

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that accelerate our dive
team's hydro-survey missions.

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Our Navy partners have
jointly engineered solutions

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with us to rapidly repair ports

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to offload our military fleet
in tight operational windows.

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In the ground domain,

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bridges have always been
strategic choke points,

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and serve as military
targets in all conflicts.

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Our deep knowledge of
structures is being used

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to develop new bridge
reconnaissance techniques.

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Using sensor modes in ways that
have never been done before.

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Understanding that the enemy will also

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attempt to further restrict our movements,

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we're advancing the Army's capabilities

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with items like the robotic breecher.

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This limits the combat engineer's exposure

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during dangerous missions.

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Eventually the sea and
land domains will be

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difficult to maneuver through,

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so modern methods to open
the air domain are needed,

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such as expedient airfield damage repair,

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site selection of
helicopter landing zones,

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and other ways to get our forces

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to the fight through the air.

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Other obstacles such as river crossings

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must be executed with
extreme precision and timing.

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So we're developing world-class methods

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to provide 14 day forecasts
of global river levels

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and engineering solutions to expand

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our float bridge performance,

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including the matting required

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to get our vehicles out of the riverbanks.

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So the bottom line is that ERDC

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continues to deliver solutions

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that would help us win in
multi-domain operations.

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We did it in World War II,

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and we know we can do it again

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because we have great engineers

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and scientists on board to make it happen.

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Let us try.

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(soft piano music)