TAN-TAN, Morocco — Following the disappearance of two U.S. Soldiers in the Atlantic Ocean near the Cape Draa Training Area in Morocco, experts from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) quickly came together and joined a massive, multi-national team to support search and recovery efforts.
More than 1,000 civilian and military personnel from the U.S. and Morocco participated in the search, which covered more than 21,000 square kilometers across sea and littoral zones. The search was complicated by hazardous rocky coastline, turbulent waters, strong waves, and a network of caverns, making it difficult to safely access and search the area.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers called on ERDC to provide specialized technical expertise and advanced modeling skills to help narrow the search and inform recovery operations. A team of ERDC researchers immediately deployed to Morocco to assist, with another ERDC team providing reachback support from the U.S.
On the ground, the four-person ERDC team deployed a remotely operated vehicle in the water, capable of searching underwater areas too hazardous for divers. Equipped with sonar, laser scanning, and real-time video capabilities, the system allowed responders to inspect submerged areas and hard-to-reach caverns, while reducing risk to personnel.
Additionally, a group of ERDC researchers back home led efforts to provide numerical modeling of water levels, currents, and wave conditions, which helped identify the most likely search areas. Working alongside university partners, the team quickly generated model outputs in a rapidly changing environment.
“ERDC exists to solve tough challenges, bringing every deployable capability we have to support the Warfighter at home and abroad,” said Dr. Gaurav Savant, an ERDC Senior Scientific Technical Manager in the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory. “Knowing there were two Army warfighters missing and the uncertainty their families were facing added extra urgency to the ERDC response.”
The operation required rapid integration of specialized expertise, demonstrating the value of multidisciplinary engineering support in complex environments. Researchers from across the organization—the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, Information Technology Laboratory, Environmental Laboratory, and USACE Reachback Operations Center— all brought their distinct expertise to the table to aid recovery efforts.
“This was a deeply somber mission, and our thoughts remain with the families of those we lost,” Savant said. “ERDC has an unwavering commitment to our Soldiers and their families, and we stand ready to bring the full weight of our scientific and engineering capabilities to bear— no matter where or when our service members are in need.”