The 1st Marine Division of the United States Marine Corps has released a video showing new Amphibious Combat Vehicles in action during Marine Air Ground Task Force Warfighting Exercise (MWX) 2-21 at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
U.S. Marines Corps newest Amphibious Combat Vehicles, better known as ACVs, with Co. D, 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, were employed for the first time in a 1st Marine Division training exercise during MWX 2-21.
The ACV is the Corps’ answer to the decades-old Assault Amphibious Vehicle, which has been in service since the 1970s. It is an eight-wheeled vehicle that will provide protection akin to the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle, with landward maneuverability and mobility that is superior to that of the legacy Assault Amphibious Vehicle.
U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Alexander Roman, a section leader with Co. D, 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, said that five days, they worked on the integration piece.
“With the infantry, this right here really brings what we need to the fight. As far as the communication systems, stabilize a platform when it comes to weaponry. Maneuverability is a huge plus,” said Alexander Roman adding that “the way we employ the vehicle is first and foremost, we support and lift the infantry in general.”
Also, he added that: “So although it’s a great integration between us and the infantry and allows them to have a little bit more added peace of mind knowing that we got there six as predicted, the vehicle withstood all the challenges that came about to include the landscape, the terrain. But I would say, Yeah, the vehicle did really well.”
A next-generation vehicle built by BAE Systems in cooperation with Italy’s Iveco and designed to provide increased lethality, survivability and protected mobility to the warfighter, the ACV will be carrying and fighting alongside Marines for generations to come.
In the future, the Corps intends to develop, procure and field three additional variants that specialize in command and control, recovery operations and increased firepower.