Preliminary Exploration of Resistance, Wave-Making and Pressure Distribution of Amphibious Assault Vehicle Clusters in Different Formations

Amphibious assault vehicles serve as core equipment for coastal defense and amphibious operations worldwide, with irreplaceable strategic value. Featuring outstanding comprehensive performance, modern amphibious assault vehicles can maintain stable navigation under Sea States 3–4 and adapt to complex nearshore hydrological environments, emerging as the primary platform for mechanized landing operations of the Marine Corps. Cluster navigation is an inevitable tactical form in the operational application of amphibious assault vehicles. When multiple vehicles sail in formation, the wave-making and water pressure effects induced by individual vehicles generate prominent wave interference drag within the formation, which significantly impacts the overall navigation efficiency and stability. Based on the nearshore combat background of amphibious landing, this paper investigates different formation layouts of amphibious assault vehicle clusters to determine the optimal configuration for group navigation. First, a numerical simulation and a physical experiment are combined; a certain type of amphibious assault vehicle is taken as the prototype for 3D geometric modeling via SOLIDWORKS. Then, adopting the CFD numerical simulation method, with navigation speed and optimal inter-vehicle spacing fixed, variables including formation layout and number of vehicles are controlled to simulate the flow field characteristics and total resistance of different cluster formations in calm water. Meanwhile, 3D printing technology is applied to manufacture scaled-down models for towing tank tests. The experimental results are in good agreement with numerical simulations, revealing the fundamental hydrodynamic laws of formation navigation. Under optimal inter-vehicle spacing, the longitudinal tandem formation achieves the best drag-reduction effect, while the double-column staggered formation (diamond/V formation) can effectively suppress wave interference drag and improve the overall hydrodynamic performance and tactical coordination. The research provides a solid theoretical basis and data support for optimizing formation sailing strategies, enhancing cluster navigation stability and safety, and improving maritime maneuver efficiency. It is also of universal reference value for the tactical deployment of amphibious combat equipment globally.