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The first USMC platoon equipped with the newly developed Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACV) has been formed. After five years development, the first batch of 18 ACVs has been handed over, while the USMC has a requirement for 458 examples in five variants, to be delivered by 2023. In February 2020, the order for 26 additional vehicles increased the order volume to 116 ACVs with orders for the remaining vehicles, starting full rate production, expected in the near future.

The ACV is a modern 8×8 open ocean-going vehicle equipped with a new 514 kW six-cylinder engine, with a significant increase in power compared to the fleet currently in service. The vehicle, which offers first-class mobility in all types of terrain, has suspended mine protection seats for 13 soldiers and mine-protected seats for the three-man permanent crew – overall improved survivability and force protection. On land, speeds of over 100 km/h are reached and in the water, speed increases by around 16 km/h. Swimming is possible up to wave heights of 1.25 m (Seastate 3).

The ACV has been developed by the production joint venture BAE Systems and Iveco Defence Vehicles on the basis of the amphibious 8×8 SuperAV from Iveco, which was originally designed for the needs of the Italian Armed Forces.

Gerhard Heiming