New amphibious combat vehicles arrive for US Marines in Japan

On June 29, 2024, U.S. Marines disembarked the new Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACVs) at Naha Military Port in Okinawa, Japan.

This is an upgrade for the 3rd Marine Division, enhancing its ship-to-shore and ground combat capabilities. The ACVs are designed to support amphibious operations in distributed maritime environments, working alongside allies and partners.

The Marines, from the 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, are the first to receive these state-of-the-art vehicles. The ACV, an adaptable amphibious platform, was developed by BAE Systems to meet the complex mission objectives of deploying Marines from ship to shore.

BAE Systems describes the ACV as a “no-compromise 8×8 platform” that combines open-ocean amphibious capability with land mobility, survivability, payload, and growth potential to meet the evolving operational needs of the United States Marine Corps (USMC).

The ACV represents a collaboration between BAE Systems and Iveco Defence Vehicles, leveraging over 75 years of BAE Systems’ experience in designing and building amphibious vehicles and Iveco’s production of over 30,000 multi-purpose armored vehicles.

This deployment is one of the key components of the USMC’s strategy to enhance its capabilities in the Pacific region, ensuring that it remains ready to respond to emerging threats and support joint operations with allied forces.