Marines with Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch, Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity, operate new Amphibious Combat Vehicles along the beach aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. The ACV is a modernized platform that provides increased lethality, survivability and protected mobility to Marines and will enhance I Marine Expeditionary Force’s ship-to-shore operations. 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, will be the first to receive the ACV.
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. The program replaces the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle 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.
On 24 November 2015, the Marines selected the BAE Systems SuperAV and SAIC Terrex to move on to the engineering and manufacturing development phase of the ACV 1.1 program, beating out Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and Advanced Defense Vehicle Systems. The Marine Corps valued swim operations, land operations, carrying capability, and force protection equally in the selection process, but the two winners were chosen for emphasis focused on amphibious swim capability, since the ACV is “fundamentally an amphibious vehicle.” In June 2018, the BAE design was selected, with an initial order or 30 ACVs. In June 2019 BAE Systems and Iveco were awarded a contract to develop Command and 30mm gun armed variants.
