As demonstrated in this short video shows that Cold War engineers would try almost anything!

An image of

British Soldiers from 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (1 LANCS) wearing the Tactical Engagement Simulation System, taking part in Exercise Gaulish in France

Sadly, JLOTS has recently been withdrawn

END

Watch a time-lapse in the video below

www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4hh...

But as brilliant as it is, it is very labour-intensive, and needs a considerable presence on the beach

ELCAS-M is a neat and capable system, part of the wider Joint Logistics Over The Shore (JLOTS) capability

The crawler crane is re-used to load and offload pontoons, landing craft, and other lighters

The turntable also avoids the truck having to reverse onto the pier

To facilitate larger trucks accessing the pier, and avoid having to create a large turning banjo, a truck turntable is used.

A buffer pontoon, fenders and berthing piles are installed. Lighting, rails, signange, and other equipment is installed

The build continues until the desired length is achieved.

The piles are contained within a housing assembly

Each module is connected, and supported by the steel piles, each individually driven using a crawler crane and piling hammer

Build starts from the beach

The two main components are the causeway modules and steel piles

A compound is created, routes on and off the beach created, and stores and sustainment supplies loaded.

The whole thing is more or less a big kit of Lego, every single part is landed on the beach first, using the Improved Navy Lighterage System (INLS).

The main objective is to enable small vessels and lighters to load and offload cargo away from the surf zone, and in water deep enough to avoid beaching. As we saw from the Gaza pier, waves are a big problem for over the shore logistics. Elevation and distance solve the problem, somewhat

The Expeditionary Elevated Causeway (ELCAS) is a remarkable portable modular structure that can be built out from the beach to a distance of 3,000 feet (0.91 km). It can also be built up to a depth of 20 feet (ca. 6 m) to allow small vessels to come alongside and discharge their cargo.

𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗

Let's discuss...

Piers for use on beaches, the ELCAS-M

Strike drone cutaway

The ultimate drone bomber?

New cutaway and article -> www.hisutton.com/Windracers-U...

A number of Windracers Ultra long-range heavy-lift drones have been supplied to Ukraine.

Media illustrating the Multidrive FCV Pulse Trailer for defence users. What might have been

Picture

A 2 PARA soldier packs his parachute after landing on the drop zone in France during Exercise Orion

Video clip illustrating the Yugoimport NORA NG SPH

Image:-


08 Mar 2026 - HMS Dragon Loading on stores, ready to deploy to the Mediterranean.

Video illustrating a salvo launch of six Brimstone anti armour missiles, somewhat of a unique capability straight from the Cold War that is back in fashion

Pictured:

Soldiers from 2 PARA patrol down the side of the drop zone in France after an airborne insertion during Exercise Orion

The Brimstone 3 guided weapon under test against a representative target in Scandinavia using an inert warhead

Read more about this operation at the link

www.thinkdefence.co.uk/2021/08/mine...

There is another great documentary on YouTube of HMS Brocklesby

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYZu...