Replacement for Marines' beleaguered amphibious vehicle set to deploy for the first time

As disciplinary hearings continued last week at Camp Pendleton for Marine Corps officers involved in the deadly sinking of an amphibious vehicle in 2020, a new type of amphibious troop carrier splashed into the chilly Pacific waters at the west end of the base and the service prepared for its first deployment.
The Amphibious Combat Vehicle, or ACV, has been in development for years as a replacement for the Vietnam War-era Assault Amphibious Vehicle, commonly called an AAV, or “amtrack.” The service’s need for new amphibious transports was brought to the forefront in July 2020 when the 35-year-old amtrack sank off the coast of San Diego, costing the lives of eight Marines and a sailor.