The floating dock system (Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore – JLOTS), which the US established with great hopes to deliver humanitarian aid to war-torn Gaza, was closed down after a short period of operation, resulting in a complete failure. This ambitious project, announced by then-President Joe Biden in March 2024, was quietly terminated in July 2024, after only 20 days of operation, due to equipment failures and unfavorable sea conditions.
Environmental Factors and Equipment Incompatibility are the Main Causes of Failure
A new report by the U.S. Department of Defense’s independent watchdog has laid bare just how ill-prepared troops are to build the floating pier in Gaza. According to Defense News, the U.S. military has demonstrated a serious failure to identify and predict critical environmental factors, such as beach conditions and sea states, that are likely to directly impact the success of JLOTS.
Another important point that was noted in the report was the failure of the equipment belonging to the US Navy and the Army to work together smoothly. It was stated that when the equipment of the two different units came together, it caused damage and this situation significantly reduced operational efficiency. In addition, the lack of necessary training and resources for the personnel also played a critical role in the failure of the operation.
Critical Recommendations from the Inspectorate
The comprehensive report prepared by the US Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General provides an in-depth analysis of the failure of the JLOTS project and offers important recommendations to prevent similar mistakes from happening in the future. The report emphasizes the need to establish a new working group to focus on JLOTS, while the report submitted to the US Department of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff underlines the urgent need to identify gaps in JLOTS capabilities. In particular, it states that communication and coordination between the different military services should be improved through the US Transportation Command, which coordinates the mission.
Operation Not a Complete Failure: Amount of Aid Delivered is Remarkable
According to Defense News, the JLOTS pier, which was implemented under the name “Operation Neptune Solace,” cannot be described as a complete fiasco despite all its shortcomings. In the short time it was operational, approximately 19,4 million pounds (about 8,8 million kilograms) managed to deliver food aid. It is stated that this amount is enough to feed half a million Palestinian civilians for a month. This data can be considered as an important point in terms of showing the humanitarian aid potential of the project.
Drills Were Inadequate: Level of Preparedness Was Low
Despite the US Department of Defense conducting 11 separate JLOTS exercises prior to the Gaza operation, the 84-page report states that both the Army and the Navy failed to meet the service standards for JLOTS package readiness and equipment mission availability rates. While actual readiness rates and unit manning shortages are censored in the report, the negative impact of lack of resources on the success of the operation is clearly highlighted.
Serious Damage Occurred to Equipment
The report cites both Army and Navy officials as having reported chronic problems with the dock equipment in the past. It says there were serious equipment failures during the Gaza operation, with ramps bending and boats punching “a lot of holes” in the docks. One striking image in the report shows a structure with deep gouges in its base and the words “complete loss” spray-painted on the side.
Although the Army's assessment of the damage was censored in the report, the Navy reported approximately 27 boats and various equipment lost $31 million It is stated that it reported a damage. In addition, during the “Neptune Solace” operation, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) 62 US personnel were injured These figures show that the operation not only caused financial losses, but also seriously jeopardized personnel safety.
Inadequate Planning and Lack of Regional Knowledge Consolidated Failure
In conclusion, it was determined that inadequate training and equipment, as well as serious deficiencies in the planning phase, played a major role in the failure of the JLOTS project. Despite the establishment of clear sea state boundaries for the jetty, planners in the forces and Geographic Combatant Commands did not fully identify or consider beach conditions, average sea states, and other mission-specific requirements that would likely impact the ability to successfully conduct a JLOTS operation. In addition, the report notes that deployed soldiers lacked geographic and environmental knowledge specific to the Gaza region. When all of these factors are combined, the U.S. humanitarian aid delivery system in Gaza, despite its well-intentioned efforts, ended in a complete fiasco due to poor planning, inadequate preparation, and incompatibility of equipment.
