I was thinking recently that hovercrafts might come in handy to cross minefields in Ukraine, assuming that hovercrafts don't trigger detonation.
I'm sure there are plenty of reasons though (perhaps noise?) for why this would be a stupid idea.
I'm sure there are plenty of reasons though (perhaps noise?) for why this would be a stupid idea.
See: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_Craft_Air_Cushion>
The US have around 100 LCAC and similar vehicles, with a cargo capacity of ~60 tonnes, or 120--180 troops, each.
Hovercraft might prove useful in some cases for traversing minefields, but would be hampered by terrain (hovercraft have poor hill-climbing and slope-traversal characteristics), and might best be utilised after major combat risks are reduced, as part of de-mining operations.
They would probably be rather more expensive and yet another thing to maintain and not carry that much. Ontop of that where would you hide them so that the opponent wouldn't concentrate effort to remove them? The more effective they were the more they would get targeted and be difficult to protect.
I really just think that nobody has tried - there probably aren't such a lot of hovercraft "on the second hand market" that can be bought and fixed up to go and the only ones in large supply are very small recreational vehicles.