US Marines receive first set of ACV

Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. - US Marines started receiving the long-awaited Amphibious Combat Vehicle.

Program Executive Officer Land Systems approved initial fielding of the Marine Corps’ new ACV, which will eventually replace the Corps’ legacy Assault Amphibious Vehicles.

The initial fielding decision, which the PEO finalized in late September, enables the AAA program office to start distributing the vehicle to the fleet. The Marine Corps delivered the first set of ACVs—the personnel-carrier variant—to Marines starting in October.

In the future, the Corps intends to develop, procure and field three additional variants that specialize in command and control, recovery operations and increased firepower.

The ACV is designed to fully replace the Corps’ aging fleet of AAVs through the 2020s. Expeditionary and modernized in design, the ACV integrates with naval shipping and ship-to-shore connectors. The ACV’s ability to use the ocean and waterways to carry Marines and equipment make it well-suited for various operating environments, including Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations.

The Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) is a program initiated by Marine Corps Systems Command to procure an amphibious assault vehicle for the United States Marine Corps to supplement and ultimately replace the aging Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV). The program replaces the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) program canceled in 2011. Originally a plan to develop a high-water-speed vehicle, the program has expanded into a multi-phased approach to procure and develop several types of amphibious-capable vehicles to address near and long-term requirements.

The ACV is a family of 8x8 armored vehicles that includes a personnel variant, command and control variant, recovery variant, and 30-mm gun variant. The ACV Program Office is focusing on current procurement efforts on the personnel variant. It is a modern generation, eight-wheeled, armored personnel carrier with a combat-loaded gross vehicle weight of around 32,000 kg. The primary weapon on the ACV is a single mount RWS (Remote Weapon Station) equipped with an Mk-19 automatic grenade launcher or M2 12.7mm caliber heavy machine gun.

The ACV is developed based on the design of the SuperAV 8x8 amphibious armored vehicle developed and manufactured by the Italian Company IVECO Defence Vehicles. It incorporates a high hardness monocoque steel hull, able to protect the crew from small arms fire, artillery shell splinters, landmines, and IEDs. Add-on armor kits are available. The BAE/Iveco version of the SuperAV submitted to the Marines carries a crew of three with 11 embarked Marines. The vehicle is fully amphibious and powered in the water at a maximum speed of 11 km/h thanks to two propellers mounted at the rear of the hull.