Survivability, Lethality, and Mobility Requirements of Military Vehicles Conducting Future Wet Gap Crossings

Wet gap crossings, which involve moving military forces across rivers and other water obstacles, are among the most difficult maneuvers that units can perform. These operations are complicated by choke points, fast-flowing water, and the exposure of forces to enemy fire. Despite these challenges, wet gap crossings remain critical to battlefield success, particularly during large-scale combat operations. Consequently, military vehicles must be designed with these operations in mind. This study examines doctrinal approaches to wet gap crossings and the trade-offs between mobility, survivability, and lethality in relation to fording, floating, rafting, and bridging. The analysis incorporates open-source data from the Institute for the Study of War, which provides daily updates on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and Oryxspioenkop, which collates open-source images of Russian and Ukrainian battle-damaged equipment. This data is used to assess additional challenges encountered during wet gap crossings and the consequences of failure. The results highlight emerging threats and provide insights into new design requirements for military vehicles. In particular, the findings emphasize the need for a diverse fleet of vehicles to conduct a wet gap crossing effectively. Amphibious vehicles are needed to establish the initial bridgehead, light vehicles can be rafted to exploit momentum, and heavier vehicles require a bridge to continue the assault.