FAVS 2023: US Marines to deploy ACV amphibious vehicles in 2024

The USMC is procuring 175 ACV-30s, with an IOC planned for 2026. (BAE Systems)

The US Marines Corps (USMC) plans to deploy its first four 8×8 Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACVs) in March 2024, Janes learned at SAE Media Group's Future Armoured Vehicles Survivability (FAVS) 2023 conference held in London from 13 to 15 November.

Colonel Timothy Hough, programme manager for Advanced Amphibious Assault in the USMC's Program Executive Office Land Systems, told conference attendees on 15 November that the vehicles would continue to be fielded and reach an initial operational capability (IOC) in 2024–27.

He presented the four variants of the 36 ton ACV, which he said share 80% commonality. The ACV-P (Personnel), with an approved acquisition objective (AAO) of 390 vehicles, reached IOC in 2020. Equipped with a remote weapon station for a Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher or 50 calibre machine gun, it is designed to embark 13 troops in amphibious operations from ship to shore and then move inland. ACVs are designed to swim 12 n miles (22 km) from their landing ships to shore to keep the vessels supporting an amphibious assault out of range of defenders' anti-access/area denial assets, Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Hohl, Assault Amphibian Capability integration officer in the USMC's Capabilities Development Directorate's Ground Combat Element Division, said.

Next planned to reach IOC in 2024 is the ACV-C (Command) with an AAO of 33 vehicles, providing a mechanised task force combat operations centre and command and control of the ground-based assault forces of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force moving from ship to shore and then inland. It can carry up to seven embarked battle staff and is armed with a medium-calibre machine gun for self-defence.