Marines Test New Amphibious Combat Vehicle's
Maneuverability
by U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Andrew Cortez January 1,
2020
The world is constantly advancing around us. As the most feared
fighting force in the world, it is imperative Marines advance their
capabilities along with it. The Corps’ new Amphibious Combat Vehicle
is here to improve Marines’ amphibious capabilities.
Marines
with the Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch, Marine Corps Tactical
Systems Support Activity, tested the ACV’s maneuverability and
performance during low-light and night operations on Marine Corps
Base Camp Pendleton’s beaches in December 2019. The Marines spent hours
driving ACVs the Southern California surf and in the open ocean to
assess how well they could interface with the vehicle and conduct
operations in low light.
 U.S. Marines with Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch, Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity, drive a new Amphibious Combat Vehicle ashore during low-light surf transit testing at AVTB Beach on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Dec. 18, 2019. The test was designed to assess and verify how well Marines can interface with the vehicle and operate at night. The ACV is an eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier designed to fully replace the Corps’ aging fleet of Amphibious Assault Vehicles. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andrew Cortez)
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“AVTB has been on Camp Pendleton
since 1943,” said David Sandvold, the director of operations for
AVTB. “We are the only branch in the military who uses our
warfighters to test equipment that is in development.”
The
ACV will be replacing the Amphibious Assault Vehicle starting in
late 2020. The AAV has been in service since 1972, serving in
countries around the world. The AAV has been the go-to vehicle to
carry Marines and gear from ship to shore, but with adversaries
around the world growing more powerful, the ACV was created to
enhance the capabilities of ship to shore missions and amphibious
assaults.
The ACV will come in four different variants
derived from the armored personnel carrier base. There’s a recovery
variant, a command and control variant, and an up-armed variant to
engage enemy armored vehicles. Each ACV comes equipped with eight
wheels instead of the tracks originally on the AAV.
“It’s a
huge difference on how the ACV and the AAV drive and handle,” said
Marine Sgt. Fernando Alvarez, an AAV operator with AVTB. “The main
difference (with wheels) is that it’s a lot faster on land. But
instead of pivoting like the AAV, we have to make three-point turns
now, which is not a problem.”
 U.S. Marines with Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch, Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity, drive
a new Amphibious Combat Vehicle along the beach during low-light surf transit testing at AVTB Beach on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Dec. 18, 2019. The test was designed to assess and verify how well Marines can interface with the vehicle and operate at night. The ACV is an eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier designed to fully replace the Corps’ aging fleet of Amphibious Assault Vehicles. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andrew Cortez)
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The ACV powers through high
surf, traverses over trenches and trucks over sloped terrain. The
ACV’s significant protective assets make it resilient to direct
attacks and allow it to operate with degraded mobility in an
ever-changing battle environment. The vehicle possesses sufficient
lethality to deliver accurate fire support to infantry, whether
stationary or on the move.
“Technology is modernizing,”
explained Sandvold. “As we learn about the ACV, we see everything it
has to offer.”
The ACV also has a unique V-shape underbelly
to deflect the blast of improvised explosive devices. Since IED’s
were the most lethal weapons used against AAV’s, the new ACV was
designed to take a blast from an IED, continue the mission and bring
Marines home safely.
“I am loyal to tracks, but the more I
learn about these vehicles, the more impressed I get with all its
features and how it will improve our warfighting capabilities,” said
Sandvold.
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