Which device type in the topology will forward network packets without an OSI layer 3 address assigned to a data plane interface?

A router operates at Layer 3 and requires IP addresses on each data plane interface to route packets between different networks.

A firewall performs stateful inspection at Layer 3 and above and requires IP addresses on its interfaces to filter and forward traffic.

An application server is an end-host that must have a Layer 3 IP address assigned to participate in network communication.

A switch operates at OSI Layer 2 (Data Link layer) and makes forwarding decisions based on MAC address tables, not IP addresses. Its data plane interfaces do not require Layer 3 addresses to forward traffic between connected hosts. Only a management interface (out-of-band or SVI) on a switch typically carries an IP address.