U.S. Marine Corps Phases Out Old AAV Assault Amphibious Vehicle with new ACV 8x8 combat vehicle.

On May 19, 2025, the U.S. Marine Corps officially retired the BAE Systems AAV-P7/A1, a tracked amphibious assault vehicle that had served for over five decades. The farewell ceremony took place at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, marking the end of its operational role. The 2d Assault Amphibian Battalion decommissioned the last active-duty units, symbolizing a shift in mechanized amphibious doctrine. This retirement aligns with the Marine Corps’ modernization efforts, adapting to future conflicts, particularly in littoral and Indo-Pacific theaters.
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The AAV-P7/A1 played a critical role in asserting U.S. amphibious and expeditionary capabilities across multiple regions, particularly in the Middle East and Pacific (Picture source: US Marine Corps)

Originally developed in the 1970s by FMC Corporation and later upgraded and supported by BAE Systems, the AAV-P7/A1 is an amphibious armored personnel carrier designed to transport Marines and equipment from ship to shore and across varied terrain. Capable of carrying up to 25 Marines in addition to a crew of three, it boasts a welded aluminum hull for amphibious buoyancy and ballistic protection. It is powered by a Cummins VT400 V-8 diesel engine producing 400 hp, enabling speeds up to 72 km/h on land and 13 km/h in water. The vehicle is armed with a .50-caliber M2HB machine gun and a 40 mm Mk19 automatic grenade launcher mounted in a one-man turret. Upgrades to the A1 configuration included enhanced armor, improved suspension, and a modernized transmission system. According to technical data from Army Recognition, the AAV-P7/A1 has remained adaptable, participating in both conventional warfare and humanitarian operations thanks to its dual-terrain capability and troop-carrying efficiency.

The operational history of the AAV-P7/A1 is extensive and closely intertwined with the U.S. Marine Corps' global expeditionary footprint. First fielded in 1972 and designated as the LVTP-7 before being redesignated to AAV-7 in 1985, it saw action in major operations including the Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and humanitarian interventions in the Pacific. Over the years, multiple modernization phases attempted to extend its service life. The vehicle was continuously upgraded to meet evolving threats and operational requirements, especially in IED-threat environments post-2000s. Despite its resilience and effectiveness, a 2020 training accident that resulted in fatalities cast doubt on its survivability in modern amphibious assault scenarios, accelerating plans for its decommissioning and replacement.

The AAV-P7/A1 is being progressively replaced by the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV), also developed by BAE Systems in collaboration with Iveco Defence Vehicles. The ACV is designed to address the AAV’s survivability shortcomings and align with future combat requirements in contested maritime environments. Unlike its predecessor, the ACV features improved blast protection, mine resistance, and better mobility over both sea and rugged terrain. It integrates digital command-and-control systems and is expected to serve as a networked hub for expeditionary operations in multi-domain battlefields. While the AAV represented Cold War-era ship-to-shore doctrine, the ACV embodies the pivot toward distributed maritime operations, expeditionary advanced basing, and the Force Design 2030 restructuring initiative within the Marine Corps.

Strategically, the AAV-P7/A1 played a critical role in asserting U.S. amphibious and expeditionary capabilities across multiple regions, particularly in the Middle East and Pacific. Its presence in operations such as Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom provided a mobile, armored means of rapid beachhead establishment and inland maneuver, key to the Marine Corps’ doctrinal emphasis on flexibility and speed. In geopolitical terms, the AAV-P7/A1 enabled the U.S. to project power from the sea with integrated force packages, often forming the spearhead of amphibious ready groups. Its operational use underscored U.S. commitments to alliance support and crisis response capabilities, offering both deterrence and operational leverage in volatile regions.

As the last AAV-P7/A1s roll off active-duty lines at Camp Lejeune, the U.S. Marine Corps closes a pivotal chapter in amphibious warfare history. The retirement of this venerable platform, while tinged with nostalgia, signals a deliberate shift toward more survivable, networked, and strategically adaptable capabilities better suited for near-peer competition and distributed operations. In marking the end of the AAV-P7/A1 era, the Marine Corps not only honors a vehicle that served faithfully for over fifty years but also reaffirms its commitment to evolving in tandem with the complexities of modern conflict.