thedrifter
05-22-09, 07:17 AM
What Marines value, enemies fear
5/21/2009 By Lance Cpl. Meloney R. Moses , Marine Corps Base Quantico
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. —
By April 2010 the Marine Corps plans to own its first set of Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles which is intended to complement amphibious capabilities and replace its predecessor, the Amphibious Assault Vehicle, which came into the fleet in the early 1970s. The plan is to exchange half of the
Marine Corps AAVs with these, explained Staff Sgt. Niceforo Mendoza, a human factors engineer operations specialist and EFV operator. At the Quantico Marina and Range 15 on May 12, the General Dynamics-owned vehicle displayed powerful performances out on the range and remarkable maneuverability in the water and on the land.
“We’re able to outperform the AAV in almost every way,” said Mendoza. “When this vehicle hits the battlefield, we’re going to be much more lethal.”
The EFV is loaded with a 30 mm automatic cannon and a coaxial 7.62 mm M240C machine gun which can engage a target as far away as 4,000 meters on the first shot, said Matt Darling, a GD crew chief. This vehicle is controlled by a simple push of a button and can fully deploy as a boat in less than two minutes by converting from land mode to transition mode to high-water mode.
“We basically take a track vehicle and turn it into a flat-bottomed boat,” said Mendoza.
The EFV, which operates with a weight of 76,000 pounds at maximum capacity, can travel up to 45 mph on land and 29 mph on water with the ability to rapidly project combat power in both settings.
Plus, “we’re able to better protect the Marines inside,” said Mendoza.
This vehicle is hardened against nuclear biological chemical attacks, which allows it to pass through chemically hazardous spaces undisturbed, said Darling.
This armored, amphibious vehicle, capable of seamlessly transporting Marines from ships to inland missions, provides the speed and maneuvering capabilities to operate with the main battle tank on land. Current obstacles such as oceans, lakes and rivers can now be used as high-speed avenues of approach.
— Correspondent:meloney.moses@usmc.mil
Ellie
5/21/2009 By Lance Cpl. Meloney R. Moses , Marine Corps Base Quantico
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. —
By April 2010 the Marine Corps plans to own its first set of Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles which is intended to complement amphibious capabilities and replace its predecessor, the Amphibious Assault Vehicle, which came into the fleet in the early 1970s. The plan is to exchange half of the
Marine Corps AAVs with these, explained Staff Sgt. Niceforo Mendoza, a human factors engineer operations specialist and EFV operator. At the Quantico Marina and Range 15 on May 12, the General Dynamics-owned vehicle displayed powerful performances out on the range and remarkable maneuverability in the water and on the land.
“We’re able to outperform the AAV in almost every way,” said Mendoza. “When this vehicle hits the battlefield, we’re going to be much more lethal.”
The EFV is loaded with a 30 mm automatic cannon and a coaxial 7.62 mm M240C machine gun which can engage a target as far away as 4,000 meters on the first shot, said Matt Darling, a GD crew chief. This vehicle is controlled by a simple push of a button and can fully deploy as a boat in less than two minutes by converting from land mode to transition mode to high-water mode.
“We basically take a track vehicle and turn it into a flat-bottomed boat,” said Mendoza.
The EFV, which operates with a weight of 76,000 pounds at maximum capacity, can travel up to 45 mph on land and 29 mph on water with the ability to rapidly project combat power in both settings.
Plus, “we’re able to better protect the Marines inside,” said Mendoza.
This vehicle is hardened against nuclear biological chemical attacks, which allows it to pass through chemically hazardous spaces undisturbed, said Darling.
This armored, amphibious vehicle, capable of seamlessly transporting Marines from ships to inland missions, provides the speed and maneuvering capabilities to operate with the main battle tank on land. Current obstacles such as oceans, lakes and rivers can now be used as high-speed avenues of approach.
— Correspondent:meloney.moses@usmc.mil
Ellie