- The 30-ton Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicles are the "the number one vehicle" to perform the amphibious assault mission, a Marine told Insider during a recent visit to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
- These lightly-armored, fully-tracked vehicles are able to operate in the water and on land and are essential for getting Marines from ship to shore.
- While at Camp Pendleton, Insider had the opportunity to climb inside and on top of one of these vehicles and learn the ins and outs from experienced crew members.
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CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - For more than four decades, the amphibious assault vehicle has been key to getting Marines ashore and into the fight.
US Marine Corps AAVs are large, tracked vehicles capable of operating in the water and on land that are essential for getting Marines onto the beach in an assault, and Insider recently had the opportunity to climb inside.
The AAV replaced the older Landing Vehicle, Tracked (LVT) and is expected to eventually be replaced by the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV), but for now, the AAV is the go-to vehicle for amphibious assaults.
Over the past month, the Marines at Camp Pendleton in California have been training with their Japanese partners to execute an amphibious assault in the latest iteration of Iron Fist.
"AAVs bring a lot to that fight," 2nd Lt. Nicholas Pierret, an officer in charge on a live-fire range, told Insider as the gunners practiced putting fire down range.