Marines disembark Amphibious Combat Vehicles at Naha Military Port, Okinawa, Japan, June 29, 2024. (Alyssa Chuluda/U.S. Marine Corps)
The Marine Corps received a shipment of new Amphibious Combat Vehicles or ACVs, eight-wheeled armored personnel carriers designed to move troops from ship to shore, at an Okinawa port over the weekend.
The ACVs arrived Sunday at the Naha Military Port for the III Marine Expeditionary Force, according to a Marine Corps news release on Sunday. Twelve new ACVs rolled into the port, 3rd Division spokesman Gunnery Sgt. Steve Cushman told Stars and Stripes by email Monday.
Marines of 4th Marines, 3rd Division offloaded the state-of-the-art combat vehicles, which replace an aging fleet of assault amphibious vehicles.
“III Marine Expeditionary Force is a modern, ready force,” III MEF commander Lt. Gen. Roger Turner said in the release.
The ACVs’ arrival realizes a long-projected update to the current armed ship-to-shore connection and ground combat capabilities of the assault amphibious vehicles, the release said.
Their arrival on Okinawa for III MEF coincides with the Corps’ emphasis on retooling to meet the rising power in the region, China. The Pentagon defines China as its contemporary “pacing challenge.” The Marine strategy focuses on seizing and holding islands within the range of enemy fire and denying its forces access to key maritime straits.
“Upgrading our fleet with amphibious combat vehicles capable of supporting sea denial and maritime operations will further bolster our ability to support deterrence efforts and respond to contingencies in the Indo-Pacific,” Turner said.
The amphibious vehicles will be transported to Camp Schwab over the next several days, the release said.
The amphibious combat vehicle replaced the Corps’ amphibious assault vehicles after the accidental deaths of nine Marines off the Southern California coast in July 2020. BAE Systems of York, Pa., developed the ACV under a $67 million contract in June 2019. The following year, the company received a $184 million contract for the vehicle’s full production.
Marines of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit on June 25 made the first transfer of Marines and sailors from a ship, the amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry, to the shore at White Beach Naval Facility on Okinawa during an egress training exercise.
The new vehicles first deployed for an operation in May in the Philippines during the Balikatan exercise.
The III MEF will field the ACV responsibly and safely as Marines train and evolve to respond to potential crises, the release said.
