The ACVs have arrived
U.S. Marines assigned to Alpha Company, BLT 1/5, 15th MEU, recently made history by launching the new Amphibious Combat Vehicles from the USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) to conduct a live-fire, waterborne gunnery range during Exercise Balikatan 24 at Oyster Bay, Philippines, on 4 May. A promised upgrade from the troublesome (and often extremely dangerous) AAVP-7A1, which was first entered service in 1972.
U.S. Marine Corps photos by Sgt. Patrick Katz, Cpl. Aidan Hekker, and Lance Cpl. Peyton Kahle:
A U.S. Marine Corps amphibious combat vehicle attached to Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, splashes off the amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) during Exercise Balikatan 24 in Naval Detachment Oyster Bay, Palawan, Philippines, May 4, 2024. BK 24 is an annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, trust, and cooperation built over decades of shared
Amphibious combat vehicles attached to Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, drive in formation back to the amphibious landing dock USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) following a waterborne gunnery live-fire training during Exercise Balikatan 24 in Oyster Bay, Philippines, May 4, 2024.
U.S. Marine Corps amphibious combat vehicles attached to Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, conduct an open water transit to return to the amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) during Exercise Balikatan 24 in Naval Detachment Oyster Bay, Palawan, Philippines, May 4, 2024.
As noted by the USMC PAO:
The waterborne operations and live-fire training marked the first employment of the ACV platform in the region, underscoring the United States Marine Corps’ commitment to modernizing the force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
