The US Marine Corps has demonstrated a growing ability to conduct long-range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions from amphibious warships operating deep inside contested maritime regions, following the launch of a V-BAT unmanned aerial system from the USS Portland in the South China Sea.The June 17 launch, conducted by Marines and Department of War contractors assigned to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), highlights the growing role of advanced drones. The development was first reported by Defence Blog.Operating from the flight deck of the San Antonio-class USS Portland, and developed by California-based defense technology company Shield AI, the MQ-35A V-BAT…