Marine Corps Halts Waterborne Ops of New Amphibious Vehicle

U.S. Marines with Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch, Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity, drive new Amphibious Combat Vehicles along the beach during low-light surf transit testing at AVTB Beach on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Dec. 18, 2019. *U.S. MARINE CORPS / Lance Cpl. Andrew Cortez*

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Marine Corps has halted waterborne operations of its new amphibious armored vehicle pending resolution of a mechanical problem.

Maj. Jim Stenger, Marine Corps spokesperson, issued the following statement on Sept. 3:

“Out of an abundance of caution, the Marine Corps has suspended waterborne operations of the Amphibious Combat Vehicle [ACV] after identifying an issue with the towing mechanism. The Marine Corps is working on identifying and fixing the root cause of the problem. Realistic training is a vital component of readiness, and the Marine Corps is committed to ensuring Marines train under the safest conditions possible; this includes ensuring the functionality of vehicles and equipment.”

The ACV, built by BAE Systems, is replacing the AAV7 assault amphibious vehicle in Marine Corps service.