US Marine Corps Shows Off Upgraded Amphib Vehicle

QUANTICO, Va. – The US Marine Corps long have relied on the Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV) to get from ship to shore and then carry and protect them as they operate inland. But the venerable AAV-7, in service since the 1970s, proved vulnerable to improvised explosive devices (IED) and other weapons when operating in Iraq and elsewhere, and the aging fleet of 1,058 AAVs is slated to be replaced by the new Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV). The ACV, however, won’t be in service until the early 2020s.