Everyone knows the star attractions on a carrier are the jets, the F-18s, F-35s, maybe the occasional Hawkeye with its giant radar dish. But none of those aircraft would get off the deck without a small army of strange little machines rolling, towing, and hauling behind the scenes. These are the vehicles that never make it into the Navy’s recruiting ads, but they’re the glue that holds a floating airfield together.
Some of them are instantly recognizable, the squat, yellow tow tractors that nudge multi-million-dollar fighters into place. Others look like something out of a James Bond movie. Amphibious hovercraft that carry tanks straight onto a beach. Mini-subs designed to sneak divers into enemy harbors. Even forklifts, fire trucks, and crash-rescue rigs have their place on the deck or in the belly of the ship. Each has a story to tell about how modern navies move, fight, and survive far from land.
How We Found the Strangest Wheels on the Water
Image Credit: Lance H. Mayhew – Public Domain/Wiki Commons.
To build this list, we focused on vehicles that are actually part of shipboard operations, the ones sailors see, use, and rely on every day at sea. No land-only impostors and no one-off prototypes that never left the drawing board. We started with the iconic “yellow gear” like the A/S32A-31A Tow Tractor and A/S32A-32 Spotting Dolly, which are as much a part of carrier culture as the aircraft themselves. From there, we branched out to the big-ticket machines like the LCAC (Landing Craft Air Cushion), which can haul a 70-ton Abrams tank from ship to shore at 40 knots, and the SEAL Delivery Vehicle, a mini-sub that’s as secretive as it is effective.
Balance was important. We wanted to mix everyday workhorses, the fire trucks, forklifts, and the crash-and-salvage rigs, with the oddballs that even Navy vets might have forgotten, like amphibious bridging units or shipboard utility carts. Every pick had to be tangible, operational, and visible enough that readers could find photos or see them in action. Our goal was to show the hidden ecosystem of rolling and floating gear that makes a 100,000-ton city at sea actually function, while keeping it lighthearted enough to celebrate just how odd some of these contraptions look outside of their natural habitat.
A/S32A-32
Image Credit: Navy.mil/MC1 Peter Burghart – Public Domain/Wiki Commons.
Half forklift, half sideways skateboard, the spotting dolly is the deck’s precision dancer. It can spin, slide, and inch an aircraft into position with moves that would make a figure skater jealous. Operators ride it facing sideways, like they’re breaking every driving rule on purpose. It fits into spaces you’d swear were too tight for anything but a human.
When the deck is crowded, it’s the dolly that makes sure nothing bumps or scratches. Watching it work is oddly satisfying, like watching someone solve a puzzle in slow motion. It’s ugly in the way only the most useful tools can be. Without it, moving planes in a crowded hangar would be a nightmare.
A/S32A-31A Tow Tractor
Image Credit: U.S. National Archives/PH3 Soiseth – Public Domain/Wiki Commons.
Painted in a shade of yellow you could spot from orbit, this tug is the deck’s muscle. It moves aircraft like they’re toys, shoving them into place without breaking a sweat. The driver sits in the middle like the captain of a tiny, low-riding battleship. The front and back look almost the same, so you never know which way it’s about to go.
It’s squat, wide, and built for pure strength. When idle, it hums softly, waiting for the next job. Every carrier has them, and every carrier deck crew treats them like royalty. They’re small, but they own the deck. If you hear one coming, you move, fast.
Crash & Salvage Crane
Image Credit: Anibal Rivera – Public Domain/Wiki Commons.
The Salvage Crane is the deck’s heavy lifter for when things go wrong, or when something really heavy needs to be moved. Long boom, chunky wheels, and a paint job that mixes hazard stripes with salt-weathered steel. It’s not fast, but it’s strong, and it can get to places you’d think a crane couldn’t go.
Crew use it to lift damaged aircraft, awkward equipment, and occasionally things no one else wants to touch. When parked, it’s just another piece of gear. When it’s in motion, everyone knows to get out of the way. The Tilly has a quiet authority, no one questions why it’s there. It’s like the grizzled veteran of the deck crew, always ready for one more job.
LARC-V (Lighter, Amphibious Resupply Cargo – 5 ton)
Image Credit: Geronimo Aquino – Public Domain/Wiki Commons.
Big tires, boat hull, and a cab that looks like it belongs on a construction site, the LARC-V is a weird one. It drives straight off the beach and into the water without blinking. Salt spray and sand are part of its daily wardrobe. On land, it lumbers like a dump truck with a hangover. At sea, it bobs along looking like it’s not entirely sure it belongs there.
You’ll see them in ports, on beaches, and occasionally tucked into a ship’s well deck. They’re rare enough to make you stop and stare when you spot one. Watching one transition from water to land is pure mechanical magic. It’s half boat, half truck, and all personality.
Mini-Submersibles (SDV – SEAL Delivery Vehicle)
Image Credit: Andrew McKaskle – Public Domain/Wiki Commons.
This thing lives in the shadows, literally. Tucked away on certain ships, the SDV looks like something stolen from a spy movie prop room. Sleek, dark, and shaped like it knows secrets, it’s the stealth transport of choice for special operations. Most crew never see it up close, and those who do usually don’t talk about it.
It doesn’t roar like the LCAC or clank like a crane, it just slips into the water, almost shy about being noticed. When it’s on deck, it draws a quiet kind of respect. Every surface looks like it’s built to disappear into the ocean. If the ship had a ninja, this would be it. Photos of it in action are rare, but the lucky few who’ve ridden in one call it unforgettable. It’s the most mysterious “vehicle” on the list, and that’s exactly why it belongs here.
Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB)
Image Credit: Werd678 – Public Domain/Wiki Commons.
Fast, agile, and always looking like it’s late for something, the RHIB is the ship’s go-to speedster. It launches in a spray of saltwater, bouncing over waves like it’s daring the ocean to slow it down.
Crew ride it standing, clinging to rails and grinning like they’re in a roller coaster commercial. From a distance, it looks small and almost toy-like, until you see how it handles rough seas. It’s the kind of craft that makes everyone on the flight deck stop and watch when it’s hoisted over the side. When it’s gone, you barely notice.
When it comes screaming back in, you can’t look away. There’s always a little adrenaline in the air when the RHIB’s engines start up. Even after a short run, the crew comes back salt-streaked and smiling. It’s small but mighty, and the ocean knows it.
Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV-7)
Image Credit: Elizabeth Merriam – Public Domain/Wiki Commons.
Imagine a tank that decided it wanted to swim. The AAV-7 rumbles down a well deck ramp like it’s about to crash through the wall, and then just keeps going straight into the water. Its hull is scarred from years of hauling Marines through salt spray and sand. Inside, it’s cramped, loud, and smells like oil and determination. On land, it crawls along with a steady, unstoppable pace. At sea, it plows through waves like they’re minor inconveniences.
Watching one roll ashore is like watching a mechanical sea monster emerge from the deep. It’s one of the few vehicles that looks equally at home in mud or surf. You don’t just ride in an AAV, you endure it, and once you’ve done it, you’ll never forget the sound of that engine echoing inside.
LCAC (Landing Craft Air Cushion)
Image Credit: MSarah E. – Public Domain/Wiki Commons.
If Mad Max designed a hovercraft, this would be it. The LCAC roars into action, kicking up a hurricane of spray and sand as it rides a cushion of air straight onto the beach. From the well deck, it looks impossibly huge, like someone decided to park a small building inside the ship. It carries everything from trucks to tanks to crates of supplies, all while looking like it might just float away if you let go.
When idle, it sits quietly, almost deflating into itself. When powered up, you can feel it in your chest before you hear it in your ears. It’s part ferry, part freight train, part rock concert. Watching one load or unload is like seeing organized chaos on fast-forward. It may not be pretty, but it’s unforgettable, and unmistakable.
Carrier Deck Forklift
Image Credit: Rafael Figueroa Medina – Public Domain/Wiki Commons.
You’ve seen forklifts before, but probably not one weaving between jets on a moving ship. The carrier deck forklift is part ballet dancer, part bulldog. It lifts everything from crates to oddly-shaped gear that looks like it came from an alien garage sale. The driver sits high, scanning for wing tips, radar dishes, and the occasional sailor who’s not paying attention.
On rough seas, it rocks with the deck but never drops its load. It’s painted in muted colors, but it’s still impossible to miss when it swings into action. Not glamorous, but absolutely essential. Every move it makes has to be precise, there’s no room for error. You could say it’s the most patient driver on the deck.
Flight Deck Fire Truck (P-25)
Image Credit: Seaman Jonathan Nelson – Public Domain/Wiki Commons.
Bright red and built like it means business, the P-25 is the firefighter’s chariot on the deck. Most days it waits quietly, a silent promise of quick action if things go wrong. When it moves, it threads between parked aircraft with surprising speed. The cab is small, the ride bumpy, but the crew inside is ready for anything. Its surfaces are dotted with little dings and scars, proof of close calls and tight spaces.
In an emergency, its lights cut through smoke and chaos like a beacon. Everyone hopes they never need it, but everyone’s glad it’s there. It’s a reassuring sight on the world’s most dangerous workplace. Even when parked, you can feel the “always ready” energy radiating from it.
The Quiet Stars of the Fleet
Image Credit: PH3 Fox – Public Domain/Wiki Commons.
The jets might grab the headlines, but it’s the deck gear and ship vehicles that keep the operation alive. Tow tractors drag fighters into launch position, forklifts move pallets of supplies, and refueling rigs make sure engines stay hungry. Out on the well deck, hovercraft and amphibious haulers slip in and out with barely a pause. None of it looks glamorous, but without these workhorses, a carrier or amphib would grind to a halt before a single plane ever left the deck.
Together, they form the hidden cast of characters that keep a floating airfield or amphibious ship running like a small city at sea. Without them, aircraft wouldn’t launch, supplies wouldn’t move, and beach landings wouldn’t happen. So next time you see a carrier packed with fighters, look a little closer, hiding in the corners and on the edges, you’ll spot the unsung oddballs that make the mission possible.
