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Updated June 7, 2021
The Marine Corps’ Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV)
Background
According to the Marine Corps:
Figure 2. Amphibious Combat Vehicle Ashore
The Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) is the
Corps’ next-generation vehicle designed to move
Marines from ship to shore (Figure 1). Designed to
replace the Corps’ aging Amphibious Assault
Vehicle (AAV – in service since 1972), the ACV
will be the primary means of tactical mobility for
the Marine infantry battalion at sea and ashore
(Figure 2). The ACV will possess ground mobility
and speed similar to the M1A1 tank during
Source: https://www.baesystems.com/en-us/multimedia/amphibious-
sustained operations ashore and have the capability
combat-vehicle-1-1—acv-1-1-, accessed February 3, 2021.
to provide organic, direct fire support to dismounted
infantry in the attack. The ACV will support
Current Program Status
expeditionary mobility capability and capacity with
In June 2018, the ACV entered Low-Rate Initial Production
balanced levels of performance, protection and
(LRIP) with BAE Systems selected for the first 30 vehicles
payload.
to be delivered in fall 2019. In November 2020, the ACV
achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC). In December
There are currently four ACV variants planned: (1) a
2020, a Full-Rate Production (FRP) decision was reportedly
Personnel Variant, which can carry three crew members
made by the Marine Corps after having been delayed from
with 13 Marines and two days of combat equipment and
September 2020 due to issues related to Coronavirus
supplies; (2) a Command and Control Variant; (3) a
Disease 2019. The current planned acquisition objective of
Recovery Variant; and (4) a 30-mm Gun Variant. The
632 ACVs would replace AAVs in Assault Amphibian
Marines intend for the ACV to provide effective land and
battalions. The previous acquisition objective of 1,122
tactical water mobility (ship-to-shore and shore-to-shore),
ACVs was reduced in accordance with Marine Corps Force
precise supporting fires, and high levels of force protection
Design 2030 modernization efforts (see CRS Insight
intended to protect against blasts, fragmentation, and
IN11281, New U.S. Marine Corps Force Design Initiatives,
kinetic energy threats.
by Andrew Feickert). Reportedly, ACV production is to
take place at BAE Systems facilities in Virginia, California,
Figure 1. Amphibious Combat Vehicle in
Ship-to-Shore Mode
Michigan, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) is a programmatic
decision made when manufacturing development is completed
and there is an ability to produce a smal -quantity set of
articles. It also establishes an initial production base and sets
the stage for a gradual increase in the production rate to
al ow for Ful -Rate Production (FRP) upon completion of
Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E).
Full-Rate Production (FRP) is a decision made that al ows
for government contracting for economic production
quantities fol owing stabilization of the system design and
validation of the production process.
Source: https://www.baesystems.com/en-us/multimedia/amphibious-
combat-vehicle-11-acv-11, accessed February 3, 2021.
Initial Operational Testing Observations
During Marine Corps initial operational test and evaluation
(IOT&E) conducted from June to September 2020, the
Department of Defense Director of Operational Test and
Evaluation (DOT&E) noted the following:
The ACV demonstrated water mobility and the ability to
self-deploy from the beach, cross the surf zone, enter the
ocean, and embark aboard amphibious shipping. The
https://crsreports.congress.gov
The Marine Corps’ Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV)
infantry rifle company equipped with the ACV was able
ingress and egress difficult.” This, combined with problems
to deploy from amphibious shipping, maneuver on the
accommodating full-equipped infantry Marines also noted
beach, and conduct subsequent offensive and defensive
in the report, suggests a suboptimal situation that could
operations ashore.
raise potential safety concerns. A 2014 academic study on
AAV safety noted the following:
While the ACV demonstrated good operational
availability and maintainability during IOT&E, it did
A 2014 Naval Postgraduate School study of Marine
not meet its 69-hour mean time between operational
Corps assault amphibian vehicle emergency egress
mission failures (MTBOMF) threshold. The
scenarios found the more Marines put into the back
government-furnished Remote Weapons System
of the AAV, the longer it will take for them to
(RWS)—an internally controlled, exterior-mounted MK
egress from the vehicle due to the lack of
19 automatic grenade launcher or M2 .50 caliber heavy
maneuverability afforded by their body armor and
machine gun was the source of the largest number of
other essential gear.
operational mission failures (OMFs). The government-
furnished RWS reliability issue was reported by the
This concern is heightened by the August 2020 incident off
Government Accountability Office (GAO) in 2019.
San Clemente Island, CA, when an AAV floundered at sea
during training, killing nine sailors and Marines, reportedly
The ACV accommodated three crew and 13 embarked
the AAV’s deadliest training incident in its history.
infantry. Due to the placement and number of blast
mitigating seats, interior space within the ACV is
Because of the noted safety implications, Congress might
limited, making rapid ingress and egress difficult.
wish to examine this particular aspect of the ACV’s design.
Infantry Marines noted that the troop seats were not
Potential areas for examination could include the following:
contoured to fit body armor configurations, leading to
How much more or less survivable is the ACV in its
discomfort during long range ship-to-objective missions.
present configuration than an AAV when it flounders at
Budgetary Information
sea?
How was “egress at sea” tested by BAE and the Marines
Table 1. FY2022 Navy Budget Request—ACV
during the ACV’s design and development? Is such
Total
testing done by simulation, or are live tests conducted
Total Request
Request
under controlled conditions with actual test subjects?
Funding Category
($M)
(Qty)
What, if any, ACV design solutions are under
RDT&E
80.7
—
consideration to improve emergency egress at sea?
Procurement
532.4
92
What additional personal protective equipment (PPE)
TOTAL
613.1
92
solutions might be available to Marines to enhance their
Source: Office of the Under Secretary of Defense
survivability in the event of floundering at sea?
(Comptrol er)/Chief Financial Officer, Program Acquisition Cost by
Weapon System: United States Department of Defense Fiscal Year
What, if any, nonmaterial solutions, such as revised
2022 Budget Request, May 2021, p. 3-10.
loading or operational procedures or limitations on
Notes: RDT&E = Research, Development, Test & Evaluation: $M =
numbers of embarked Marines, are under consideration?
U.S. Dol ars in Mil ions; Qty = FY2022 Procurement Quantities.
For a more detailed historical discussion of the ACV Program,
Foreign Military Sales
see CRS Report R42723, Marine Corps Amphibious Combat
There are no reported Foreign Military Sales actions
Vehicle (ACV): Background and Issues for Congress, by Andrew
associated with the ACV.
Feickert.
Potential Issue for Congress
Ability to Egress a Floundering ACV at Sea
Andrew Feickert, Specialist in Military Ground Forces
As previously noted in DOT&E’s 2020 Annual Report,
IF11755
“interior space within the ACV is limited, making rapid
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The Marine Corps’ Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV)
Disclaimer
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11755 · VERSION 2 · UPDATED