| Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAAV) | |
|---|---|
 General Dynamics Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAAV) | |
| Type | Amphibious assault vehicle[1] |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | Project cancelled |
| Used by | United States Marine Corps |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | General Dynamics |
| Unit cost | US$22.3 million |
| Variants | EFVP EFVC |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Empty: 67,300 lb (30,500 kg)[2] Fully loaded: 79,300 pounds (36,000 kg) |
| Length | 35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) |
| Width | 12 ft 0 in (3.66 m) |
| Height | 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m) (turret roof) In water: 115 in (2.9 m) |
| Crew | 3 crew |
| Passengers | 17 fully equipped marines (EFVP) 7 command crew (EFVPC) |
| Armor | armor panels made of ceramic, S-2 fiberglass, and a Kevlar-like woven fabric in three separate layers, armor offers protection against machine gun and artillery fragments weighs 20 pounds per square foot (960 Pa), 14.5 mm AP at 300 meters, 155/152 mm fragments at 15 meters |
Main armament | fully stabilized and digitally controlled Mk44 Bushmaster II Mod 0 30 mm cannon (EFVP) M240 machine gun, 7.62 mm coax (EFVPC) |
| Engine | MTU Friedrichshafen MT 883 Ka-524 90-degree V-12 diesel engine 2,702 hp (2,015 kW) (water), 850 hp (630 kW) (land) |
| Power/weight | 34.48 hp/t (25.71 kW/t) |
| Payload capacity | 9,150 pounds (4,150 kg) |
| Transmission | Allison X4560 six speed transmission; water propulsion through two 23-inch (0.58 m)-diameter water jets |
| Suspension | 14 retractable independent hydraulic suspension units with two nitrogen gas charges |
| Fuel capacity | 325 US gallons (1,230 L) |
Operational range | land: 325 mi (523 km) water: 75 mi (120 km) |
| Maximum speed | road: 45 mph (72 km/h) water: 28.6 mph (46.0 km/h; 24.9 kn) |
The Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) (formerly known as the Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAAV)) was an amphibious assault vehicle developed by General Dynamics during the 1990s and 2000s for use by the US Marine Corps. It would have been launched at sea, from an amphibious assault ship beyond the horizon, able to transport a full marine rifle squad to shore. It would maneuver cross country with an agility and mobility equal to or greater than the M1 Abrams.
The EFV was designed to replace the aging AAV-7A1 Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV),[3] which entered service in 1972,[4][unreliable source?] and was the Marine Corps' number one priority ground weapon system acquisition. It was to have had three times the speed in water and about twice the armor of the AAV, as well as superior firepower. The vehicle was to be deployed in 2015;[5] however, on 6 January 2011, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates recommended the EFV program be canceled.[6][7] The program, which was projected to cost $15 billion, had already cost $3 billion.[8][9]
The Marines asked for the EFV to be canceled in favor of the Assault Amphibian Vehicle Service Life Extension Program and the Marine Personnel Carrier, which itself became phase one of the Amphibious Combat Vehicle.[10]
- ^ Glenn W. Goodman Jr. (2010). "EXPEDITIONARY FIGHTING VEHICLE". Archived from the original on 18 January 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
- ^ "Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle - MTU MT883 Diesel Engine - Diesel Power Magazine". Diesel Power Magazine. 1 January 2010. Archived from the original on 13 February 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^ "Assault Amphibious Vehicle Systems (AAVS)". Marine Corps Systems Command. 19 March 2009. Archived from the original on 27 March 2008. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
- ^ "Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) – Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle, USA". army-technology.com. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
- ^ "U.S. Marine EFV Delivery Delayed to 2015 and Costs Double". Defense News.[dead link]
- ^ Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) (6 January 2011), "Statement by the Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James Amos on Efficiencies", United States Department of Defense, archived from the original on 1 March 2011, retrieved 6 January 2011
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
efficiencieswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Christopher P. Cavas (8 January 2010). "Fleet will feel effects of major Corps cuts". Gannett Government Media Corporation. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
- ^ Megan Scully (18 January 2011). "House Armed Services chairman restructures committee". National Journal Group Inc. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
- ^ Kuiper, Jahn R. "EFV ousted for less costly triumvirate." Archived 22 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine USMC, 22 March 2011.