The U.S. Marines’ Light Armored Vehicle Is RIP
In order to keep pace with a growing threat in the Pacific, the Corps is ditching their LAVs for good.
The Marine’s LAV has been a United States Marine Corps (USMC) workhorse since the early 1980s. With a 25mm chain gun, eight-wheel-drive, and a moderate amphibious capability, the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) is a powerful reconnaissance tool. Since its introduction, the LAV has been steadily upgraded, incorporating armor protection upgrades as well as fuel economy and drive train improvements. Though the LAV certainly fills an amphibious armored reconnaissance capability niche for the Marine Corps, it is on the way out.