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^°rnian Polmar, Editor, The Ships and Aircraft of the U. S. Fleet
arnPhibi
lous vehicles (AAVs) and is de-
anc]0^"8 3 Pro§ram t0 design, develop,
a cost-effective new assault
lOg °rs’ rPost of which are troop carriers; and v configured as command vehicles 63q°^ as recovery/repair vehicles. Some tive Veh'c'es are assigned to the three ac- 7raassault battalions: the 3d Amphibian Calif°r ,®attab°n at Camp Pendleton, visi 0rn'a’ to support the 1st Marine Di- ion°n’ the 2d Amphibian Tractor Battal- )i^5amP Lejeune, North Carolina, to 1st naw;
•'Pie ' vu 10 thc three squadrons of marls' PrePositioning ships (109 for each them ^ar'ne amphibious brigade equip- kj. . ’ and more tractors are with the c°ast 6 8Car being prepositioned on the sin' °1 Norway. The remainder are as-
>edtothe
Th ’ mair
l. e basic AAV-7A1 is a 41,000-pound
>e, Marine Corps has a comprehen- ,P an to upgrade its force of assault
Com ^ ^'s Pr°gram follows the Marine PlanS S decision to cancel the
jn„ LVT(X) advanced tracked land- the pvlic*e' Although highly touted when k|a . F(X) was announced, the head of Rav <“orPs research, Major General yM- Franklin, said in 1985, “LVT(X) Prov V’°U^ have been a marginal im- ver„ement over the LVTP-7A1 ... and y expensive.”
LVtd ^'ar’ncs now operate 1,317 t^c^Al (AAV-7A1) amphibious line for cre\v e’ wben loaded with a three-man We- ’25 troops, fuel, and ammunition, it supe S alx>ut 48,700 pounds. A turbo- Uij^Pbarged diesel can drive it eight 45 s Per hour (mph) in water and up to of -v?*1 on 'and (with a land cruise speed
mPh)-
sho Ve °Ped specifically for ship-to- Aav niovement of assault troops, the aSho ^ld-VTP-7Al could be used re in an “administrative” mode to
transport troops and supplies. Now, however, Marine doctrine provides for the tractors to be used in a “tactical” mode, that is, carrying Marines into combat in much the manner that armies use armored personnel carriers (APCs).
Many Marine and non-Marine experts believe that the AAV/LVT is not an effective APC because it is noisy, too high, vulnerable to suspension system failure in heavy land use, slow over certain terrain, and lightly armored. The AAVs are only marginally effective in protecting troops from chemical/biological weapons beyond individual protective gear.
The lack of a new amphibious vehicle in the near-term means that the Marines will continue to improve the AAV-7A1 series. A major improvement program under way includes the following significant changes:
- Replacing the current turret mounting a single .50-caliber M85 machinegun with a turret mounting a 40-mm. M19 grenade launcher, as well as the older, but more reliable, .50-caliber M2 machinegun
- An advanced mine-clearing system, firing explosive “snakes” for detonating ground mines (The system—including a possible later version with fuel-air explosive-—can be installed in the troop/cargo compartment of a tractor.)
- Applique armor that can be bolted on
In service since 1970, the LVTP-7AI amphibious tractors are receiving major improvements that will keep them on frontline amphibious assault duty in the Marine Corps into the 21st Century.
'‘I'Oc
e«dinRS / December 1986
119
From Alligator to Amtrac to AAV
In the early 1920s, U. S. tank designer J. Walter Christie developed an amphibious vehicle. Although his craft, with tracks and rudders, performed satisfactorily in river tests, it was unseaworthy in fleet exercises off Culebra, Panama Canal Zone, in 1924. However, the Marines used six of these vehicles in China in 1927.
In the 1930s, Donald Roebling began development of an amphibious vehicle for rescue work. And in 1940, the Marines funded two Roebling “Alligators.”
Pilot models of the LVT-1 were built in 1941, the designation “LVT” indicating landing vehicle, tracked.
In 1942, the LVTA variant appeared, the “A” indicating an armored, tank-like amphibious tractor—thus the term “amtrac”—armed with a howitzer.
The Marines procured 18,620 amtracs of various models during World War II, all generally called Alligators. The first postwar LVTs for the Marine Corps were the LVTP-5 troop carrier and the LVTH-6, which mounted a
105-mm. howitzer; 1,332 of these were built from 19- to 1957. The “P” indicated personnel and the “H howitzer. Subsequent LVT variants included a “C >or command, an “E” for engineering, and an “R’ (°r re covery.
In 1976, U. S. Marine Corps Headquarters adopted the term “assault amphibious vehicle (AAV)" in place of LVT. The older designation, however, remained m use for actual vehicles, while “AAV” was used for uni and doctrine.
“Landing vehicle assault (LVA)” was adopted in tie 1970s as a “sexy” designation of the next-generation assault vehicle. When that vehicle died, the simpler “LVT(X)” was adopted for the next vehicle, which was scuttled in 1985. In 1985, the term “LVT” was formally dropped; “amtrac” also became passe in favor of as sault amphibious vehicle (AAV).” ^
to the vehicle by the crew (This armor will defeat small caliber armor-piercing gunfire and weighs 3,500 pounds, which the vehicle can easily handle—in fact, the weight actually improves water stability. A lighter, improved armor is in development.)
► A bow plane that extends when the
craft is in the water to increase speed and reduce the tendency to nose down into seas
- An automatic fire sensor and suppression system designed to almost instantaneously extinguish fuel fires in the troop compartment
- A magnetic heading device that is expected to lead to a system compatible with the position locating reporting system and, eventually, the global positioning system to provide precise location and exact time anywhere in the world
- Improved engines (Two types are under development: a quieter supercharged diesel being developed by the German MTU firm, and a rotary diesel, which provides high horsepower with light weight, being developed by John Deere.)
The improvements will add to the vehicle’s weight, which is not a concern because of the craft’s great payload. More critical is space: the changes will reduce the troop capacity to perhaps 21 riflemen; if crew-served weapons such as mortars are carried, the troop capacity is less.
These improvements to the AAV-7A1 series will form the basis for the next- generation AAV. Other research, being referred to as the lightweight surface vehicle technology program, is expected to be applicable to the AAV-7A1 or to a future assault vehicle. These efforts include a composite or tile/aluminum hull, an electric drive-train, a water piston propulsor, and an advanced communica- tions/navigation system. Some of these components are being tested in an “automotive test rig” at the Naval Ship Ret C<$~
search and Development Center a derock, Maryland. e t
The specific propulsion system diesel, rotary, or gas turbine) an _ of the future vehicle have not been j mined. Speed over water will be cie There is hope that a “skimmer 0 (
type will be feasible, but the vehic operate on a variety of land terrains ^ of the time. This may be the mos cult AAV requirement to meet.
At this time, the Marines hoPe“ced full-scale development of the ,uC. vehicle in fiscal year 1991, with P a. tion to start in 1997 and an initta tional capability in 1999. ^ ao
Development and production ^ advanced AAV will be expense' ■ ^ though the Marines are a deca gJ[. from a production decision, curT^cjally pensive hardware programs esP_^Q( the air cushion landing craft ( light armored vehicle (LA )< ajr. Abrams tank, and MV-22 y <jif- craft—may make buying a new ,, S(jll ficult. Also, the AAV will Pr°ba _ (he be a slower mode of assault t LCAC, helicopters, and Osprey, jjffi- future assault planning increasing ^ cult. Another complicating factorh;v,ious the limited space available in amp ^ 0f ships, considering the vast shipboard space taken up by the -p. and LAVs, as well as engineer
ment, etc. AAVwiHbe
The challenge for a new AA fjne considerable. However, as ,one the officer recently said while discusst^r^
need for a next-generation assau js phibious vehicle, “Amphibious ass the essence of the Marine Corps-
120
Proceedings
/ Decernl>er