The Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV)—official designation AAVP-7A1 (formerly known as Landing Vehicle, Tracked, Personnel-7 abbr. LVTP-7)—is a fully tracked amphibious landing vehicle manufactured by BAE Systems Platforms & Services (previously by

United Defense United Defense Industries (UDI) was an American defense contractor which became part of BAE Systems Land & Armaments after being acquired by BAE Systems in 2005. The company produced combat vehicles, artillery, naval guns, missile launchers and ...

, a former division of

FMC Corporation FMC Corporation is an American chemical manufacturing company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which originated as an insecticide producer in 1883 and later diversified into other industries. In 1941 at the beginning of US involvemen ...

). The AAV-P7/A1 is the current amphibious troop transport of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

. It is used by U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Assault Battalions to land the surface assault elements of the landing force and their equipment in a single lift from assault shipping during amphibious operations to inland objectives and to conduct mechanized operations and related combat support in subsequent mechanized operations ashore. It is also operated by other forces. Marines call them "amtracs", a shortening of their original designation, "amphibious tractor". In June 2018, the Marine Corps announced they had selected the

BAE Systems BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...

Iveco Iveco S.p.A., an acronym for Industrial Vehicles Corporation, is an Italian multinational transport vehicle manufacturing company with headquarters in Turin, Italy. It designs and builds light, medium, and heavy Commercial vehicle, commercial veh ...

wheeled SuperAV for the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) program to supplement and ultimately replace the AAV.

History

Development

The U.S. Marine Corps became interested in replacing the LVTP-5 due to its limited range, slow water speed and the difficulty of maintaining the aging platform. In 1964, the Marine Corps solicited proposals to replace meet its requirement. The Marine Corps selected a proposal by FMC. FMC delivered the first of 15 prototypes, designated LVTPX12, in October 1967. Marine Corps testing concluded in September 1969. In June 1970, the Marine Corps awarded FMC a $78.5 million contract for the production of 942 vehicles. The LVTP-7 was first introduced in 1972. In 1982, FMC was contracted to conduct the LVTP-7 Service Life Extension Program (SLEP), which converted the LVT-7 vehicles to the improved AAV-7A1 vehicle by adding an improved engine, transmission, and weapons system and improving the overall maintainability of the vehicle. The Cummins VT400 diesel engine replaced the GM 8V53T, and this was driven through FMC's HS-400-3A1 transmission. The hydraulic traverse and elevation of the weapon station was replaced by electric motors, which eliminated the danger from hydraulic fluid fires. The suspension and shock absorbers were strengthened as well. The fuel tank was made safer, and a fuel-burning smoke generator system was added. Eight smoke grenade launchers were also placed around the armament station. The headlight clusters were housed in a square recess instead of the earlier round type. The driver was provided with an improved instrument panel and a night vision device, and a new ventilation system was installed. These upgraded vehicles were originally called LVT-7A1, but the Marine Corps renamed the LVTP-7A1 to AAV-7A1 in 1984. Another improvement was added starting in 1987 in the form of a Cadillac Gage weapon station or Up-Gunned Weapon Station (UGWS) which was armed with both a .50 cal (12.7 mm) M2HB machine gun and a Mk-19 40 mm grenade launcher. Enhanced Applique Armor Kits (EAAK) were developed for the AAV-7A1 in 1989 and fitted by 1993, providing STANAG level 5 and 6 protection against penetration from small arms fire up to 14.5 mm caliber as well as 155 mm artillery fragments. The added weight of the new armor necessitated the addition of a bow plane kit when operating afloat. The Assault Amphibious Vehicle Reliability, Availability, Maintainability/Rebuild to Standard (AAV RAM/RS) Program was approved in 1997. It encompassed all AAV systems and components to return the AAV to the original vehicle's performance specifications and ensure acceptable readiness until the EFV should become operational. The program replaced both the AAV engine and suspension with US Army

M2 Bradley The M2 Bradley, or Bradley IFV, is an American infantry fighting vehicle that is a member of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle family. It is manufactured by BAE Systems Land & Armaments (formerly United Defense) and entered service in 1981, with fi ...

Fighting Vehicle (BFV) components modified for the AAV. Ground clearance returned to and the horsepower to ton ratio increased from 13 to 1 to its original 17 to 1. The introduction of the BFV components and the rebuild to standard effort was expected to reduce maintenance costs for the expected remaining life of the AAV through the year 2013. In March 2015, SAIC was awarded a contract to perform an AAV Survivability Upgrade (SU). Marine Corps and SAIC officials unveiled the AAV SU prototype in January 2016, with survivability enhancements including replacing the angled EAAK with 49 advanced buoyant ceramic armor panels, a bonded spall liner, armor-protected external fuel tanks, an aluminum armor underbelly providing Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (

MRAP Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle (MRAPV), also known as MRAP vehicle, is a type of armoured personnel carrier that is designed specifically to withstand land mines, improvised explosive device (IED) attacks, and ambushes to save troops' li ...

)-equivalent blast protection, and blast mitigating seats as well as a more powerful engine, new suspension system, and increased

reserve buoyancy The load line, also known as Plimsoll line, indicates the legal limit to which a ship may be loaded for specific water types and temperatures in order to safely maintain buoyancy, particularly with regard to the hazard of waves. The load line is ...

.Marines' aging amphibious vehicle fleet to get better armor, more power
- MarineCorpstimes.com, 29 January 2016Marines’ Upgraded AAVs Begin Delivering, Will Comprise One-Third of Lift Need In 2020s
- News.USNI.org, 23 March 2016 The AAV SU program was intended to upgrade 392 out of the some 1,000-vehicle fleet to keep them operational through 2035 as the ACV gradually entered service. However, in August 2018 the Marine Corps terminated the AAV upgrade program, instead opting for increased procurement of the ACV. In 2021, the

started to install the M153 Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) on their AAVP-7A1s. The M153 CROWS is a stabilized mount that contains a sensor suite and fire control software. It allows on-the-move target acquisition and first-burst target engagement. Capable of target engagement under day and night conditions, the CROWS sensor suite includes a daytime video camera, thermal camera and laser rangefinder. It can be fitted with the Mk-19 grenade launcher, M2 .50 Caliber Machine Gun, or M240B Medium Machine Gun. File:AAV Survivability Upgrade (SU).jpg, AAV Survivability Upgrade (SU) File:The Future of Amphibious Warfare - AAV SUP.webm, A USMC officer in 2016 explaining the features of the since-cancelled AAV Survivability Upgrade File:AAVP-7A1 equipped with CROWS.jpg, AAVP-7A1 with a

CROWS The Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) is a series of remote weapon stations used by the US military on its armored vehicles and ships. It allows weapon operators to engage targets without leaving the protection of their vehicle. ...

Service history

Twenty U.S.-built LVTP-7s were used by

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

during the

1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands Argentine forces invaded the Falkland Islands on 2 April 1982 in a military operation code-named Operation Rosario (). The invasion served as a catalyst for the subsequent Falklands War. The Argentines mounted amphibious landings and the invas ...

with most returning to the Argentine mainland before the war ended. From 1982 to 1984, LVTP-7s were deployed with U.S. Marines as part of the multi-national peacekeeping force in Beirut, Lebanon. As Marines became increasingly involved in hostilities, several vehicles sustained minor damage from shrapnel and small arms fire. On October 25, 1983 U.S. Marine LVTP-7s conducted a highly successful amphibious landing on the island of Grenada as part of

Operation Urgent Fury The United States and a coalition of Caribbean countries invaded the small island nation of Grenada, north of Venezuela, at dawn on 25 October 1983. Codenamed Operation Urgent Fury by the U.S. military, it resulted in military occupation with ...

. It was heavily used in the 1991

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

and

Operation Restore Hope The Unified Task Force (UNITAF), also known as Operation Restore Hope, was a United States-led, United Nations-sanctioned multinational military force deployed to Somalia from 5 December 1992 to 4 May 1993. It was established to replace United ...

. After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, AAV-7A1s were criticized for providing poor protection for the crew and passengers compared with other vehicles, such as the

. Eight were disabled or destroyed during the

Battle of Nasiriyah The Battle of Nasiriyah was fought between the US 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade and Iraqi forces from 23 March to 2 April 2003 during the US-led invasion of Iraq. On the night of 24–25 March, the bulk of the Marines of Regimental Comb ...

, where they faced RPG, mortar, tank and artillery fire. At least one vehicle was destroyed by fire from friendly

A-10 Warthog The Fairchild Republic A-10 , also infamously known under the nickname , is a single-seat, twin- turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). In service since ...

aircraft. On 3 August 2005, 14 U.S. Marines and their Iraqi interpreter were killed when their AAV struck a roadside bomb in the city of Haditha in the

Euphrates The Euphrates ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of West Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia (). Originati ...

river valley in western Iraq. During the

2010 Rio de Janeiro security crisis In November 2010, there was a major security crisis in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro and some of its neighboring cities. The city's criminal drug trafficking factions initiated a series of attacks in response to the government placing perm ...

, the Brazilian Naval Fusiliers used AAV-7A1s in support of their operations to occupy the Complexo da Penha and

Complexo do Alemão Complexo do Alemão (, ''German's Complex'') is a group of favelas (low-income historically informal neighborhoods) in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. History An article published by ''O Globo'' in 2007 revealed the origin of Complexo ...

favelas Favela () is an hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella name for several types of impoverished neighborhoods in Brazil. The term, which means slum or ghetto, was first used in the Morro da Providência, Slum of Providência in the center of Rio de J ...

, where the vehicles were used to clear barricades left by the Red Command. Eight U.S. Marines and one U.S. Navy sailor died on 30 July 2020, when their AAV sank in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Clemente Island, California, during a training exercise, ahead of an upcoming deployment. As a result of the incident, on 15 December 2021 the U.S. Marine Corps announced that it has banned its fleet of amphibious armored personnel carriers from maritime operations except in emergencies.

Replacement attempts

Cancelled: Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle

Renamed from the Advanced Assault Amphibious Vehicle in late 2003, the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) was designed to replace the aging AAV. Able to transport a full Marine rifle squad to shore from an amphibious assault ship beyond the horizon with three times the speed in water and about twice the armor of the AAV, and superior firepower as well it was the Marine Corps' number one priority ground weapon system acquisition. The EFV was intended for deployment in 2015. However, in January 2011, United States Defense Secretary

Robert Gates Robert Michael Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American intelligence analyst and university president who served as the 22nd United States secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He was appointed by President George W. Bush and retained b ...

announced plans to cancel the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle. In 2012, the USMC dropped the EFV and cancelled the program.

Replacement: Amphibious Combat Vehicle

In June 2018, the Marine Corps announced they had selected the

wheeled SuperAV for the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) program to supplement and ultimately replace the AAV.BAE wins Marine Corps contract to build new amphibious combat vehicle
''Defense News''. 19 June 2018.Marines Pick BAE to Build Amphibious Combat Vehicle; Contract Worth Up to $1.2B
. ''USNI News''. 19 June 2018.

Variants

US Navy 020912-N-8087H-005 AAV launches from the well deck

* LVTP-7: Original series introduced from 1972. Originally armed with a M85 12.7 mm (.50cal) machine gun. * LVTP-7A1: 1982 upgraded. Renamed to AAVP-7A1 from 1984. ** AAVP-7A1 (Personnel): This is the most common AAV, as it carries a turret equipped with an M2HB 12.7 mm (.50 caliber) heavy machine gun, and a Mk19 40 mm automatic grenade launcher. It carries four crew radios as well as the AN/VIC-2 intercom system. It is capable of carrying 21 combat equipped Marines in addition to the crew of 4: driver, crew chief/vehicle commander, gunner, and rear crewman. ** AAVC-7A1 (Command): This vehicle does not have a turret, and much of the cargo space of the vehicle is occupied by communications equipment. This version only has two crew radios, and in addition to the VIC-2, it also carries two VRC-92s, a VRC-89, a PRC-103 UHF radio, a MRC-83 HF radio and the MSQ internetworking system used to control the various radios. This AAV has a crew of 3, and additionally carries 5 radio operators, 3 staff members, and 2 commanding officers. Recently, the C7 has been upgraded to use Harris Falcon II class radios, specifically the PRC-117 for VHF/UHF/SATCOM, and the PRC-150 for HF. ** AAVR-7A1 (Recovery): This vehicle also does not have a turret. The R7 is considered the "wrecker", as it has a crane as well as most tools and equipment needed for field repairs. It is by far the heaviest of the three, and sits considerably lower in the water. Crew of three, plus the repairmen. Many P7s have been modified to carry the Mk 154 MCLC, or Mine Clearance Line Charge. The MCLC kit can fire three linear demolition charges to breach a lane through a minefield. MCLCs were used in the 1991

Persian Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

and again in

Operation Iraqi Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...

in 2003. In the 1970s, the U.S. Army used an LVTP-7 as the basis for their Mobile Test Unit (MTU), a ground-based high-energy anti-aircraft laser. After several successful test firings at Redstone Army Arsenal, the laser was reportedly transferred to

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

. * KAAV7A1: KAAV7A1 amphibious vehicle series based on AAV-7A1 by

Samsung Techwin Hanwha Vision (), founded as Samsung Techwin, is a video surveillance company. It is a subsidiary of Hanwha Group. The company employs 1,822 people and is headquartered in South Korea. Its total sales in 2020 were 529.8 billion South Korean w ...

(now Hanwha Defense) and BAE systems developed and manufactured in South Korea by Samsung Techwin.

Training systems

The

Office of Naval Research The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is an organization within the United States Department of the Navy responsible for the science and technology programs of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Established by Congress in 1946, its mission is to plan ...

(ONR) under the Virtual Training and Environments (VIRTE) program, led by then LCDR Dylan Schmorrow, developed a prototype training system called the AAV Turret Trainer. The system consists of an actual surplus turret mounted with ISMT (Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer) weapons firing on a projected screen displaying the VIRTE Virtual Environment. A total of 15 systems were produced for the USMC and one system for Taiwan. File:Early prototype of the AAV Turret Trainer.jpg, Early pre-production prototype of the AAV TT File:AAVs preparing to debark USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44).jpg,

Well deck In traditional nautical use, well decks were decks lower than decks fore and aft, usually at the main deck level, so that breaks appear in the main deck profile, as opposed to a flush deck profile. The term goes back to the days of sail. Late-2 ...

with AAVs File:AAV-Nsry.jpg, A USMC AAV destroyed near Nasiriyah in 2003 File:US Navy 090425-N-4879G-393 A group of multinational amphibious assault vehicles from the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) deploy smoke to cover their landing during a simulated amphibious landing demonstration.jpg, Landing force demonstration File:Amphibious Assault Vehicles fire smoke grenades.jpg, USMC AAVs firing smoke grenades during a training exercise

Operators

* : Naval Infantry Command originally received 21 vehicles (19 LVTP-7, 1 LVTC-7 and 1 LVTR-7), 11 of them (9 LVTP-7, 1 LVTC-7 and 1 LVTR-7) were upgraded locally by MECATROL with Caterpillar C7 diesel engines and minor changes to running gear and other components * :

Brazilian Marine Corps The Brazilian Marine Corps (, CFN; or 'Corps of Naval Riflemen') is the Brazilian Navy's naval infantry component. It relies on the fleet and Brazilian Naval Aviation, Naval Aviation and fields its own artillery, amphibious and land armor, COMA ...

has 49 * : 76 will be procured for use with the Hellenic Marine Corps of the

Hellenic Navy The Hellenic Navy (HN; , abbreviated ΠΝ) is the Navy, naval force of Greece, part of the Hellenic Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy historically hails from the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independ ...

* : 15 in service with the

Indonesian Marine Corps The Marine Corps of the Republic of Indonesia (, KORMAR RI), previously known as the Commando Corps of the Indonesian Navy (, KKO), is an integral part of the Indonesian Navy and is sized at the military corps level unit as the naval infantry ...

; donated by South Korea. * : Due to be replaced by the Italian Marines. * : Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade has 58 (46 personnel, 6 command and 6 recovery) After a period of testing 6 AAVP-7A1s, Japan on 7 April 2016 announced it would purchase 30 systems. Vehicles are AAV7A1 Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability/Rebuild to Standard (RAM/RS) versions, with a more powerful engine and drive train and an upgraded suspension system, providing improved mobility, command, control and repair capabilities. Deliveries to take place in mid to late 2017. * :

Philippine Marine Corps The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) () is a naval infantry force under the command of the Philippine Navy. The PMC conducts amphibious, expeditionary, and special operations missions. The Philippine Marines share the traditions of both the US ...

All 8 AAV units have been delivered as of 2019 and currently operated by the Philippine Marine Corps, plans to order at least 16. * : 307th Marine Infantry Regiment Romania purchased 21 AAV-7A1 in three configurations: AAVP-7A1, AAVC-7A1, AAVR-7A1. The vehicles will enter service with the naval infantry. * :

Republic of China Marine Corps , image = File:Republic of China Marine Corp (ROCMC) Logo.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Emblem of the Republic of China Marine Corps with the map of ROC claimed lands of m ...

has 90 (78 personnel, 8 command and 4 recovery) and 1 AAV Turret Trainer. * :

Spanish Navy Marines The Marine Infantry () are the marines of the Spanish Navy. Responsible for conducting amphibious warfare. Fully integrated into the Spanish Navy's structure, the branch's history dates back to 1537 when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor formed the ...

have 19 (16 personnel, 2 command and 1 recovery) * :

Republic of Korea Marine Corps The Republic of Korea Marine Corps (ROKMC; ), also known as the ROK Marine Corps, ROK Marines or South Korean marines, is the naval infantry of South Korea. The ROKMC is a branch of the Republic of Korea Navy responsible for amphibious operat ...

has approximately 168 KAAV variants * :

Royal Thai Marine Corps The Royal Thai Marine Corps or RTMC ( are the marines of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN). The Royal Thai Marine Corps was founded in 1932, when the first battalion was formed with the assistance of the United States Marine Corps (USMC). It was expanded ...

has 36, AAVP-7A1, AAVC-7A1, AAVR-7A1. Upgraded locally by Chaiseri to match with the

's AAV7A1 RAM/RS standard. On March 10, 2022, it is reported that Chaiseri will create a local version, known as the AAVP1A1. * :

possesses 1,311 of them. * : Venezuelan Marine Corps

Notes

External links

FAS AAV article

AAV Fact File at the official USMC website

Paper regarding high energy lasers and the MTU

AAV 7A1 on Armour.ws

USMC Amtrac Association Website
{{Authority control Tracked amphibious vehicles Vehicles introduced in 1972 Armoured personnel carriers of South Korea Armoured personnel carriers of Japan Armored personnel carriers of the United States Amphibious armoured personnel carriers FMC Corporation Military vehicles introduced in the 1970s