From the Spartan War to the landings in Normandy, amphibious offensives have proven extremely dangerous, as there is no other time soldiers are more vulnerable than when they’re transitioning from water to land.

The US Navy is looking to solve that vulnerability by developing a massive amphibious tank built to deliver soldiers and combat vehicles from ships to land safely and effectively. The project’s name is Ultra Heavy-Lift Amphibious Connector, or UHAC, and it is the first vehicle of its kind.

With the ability to carry three full-sized tanks and several troops, the UHAC has the potential of changing war tactics forever.

At first glance, the tank looks similar to other tracked vehicles. However, upon close inspection, its crawler belts are fitted with specialized dense foam wedges to allow it to float on water and tread on land.

The project so far has resulted in an impressive prototype designed at a 1:5 scale, which can be seen on this rare footage taken during a recent demonstration as it steadily approaches to perform a landing for the first time ever…