A Defense Department report indicates problems with the U.S. Marines' new Amphibious Combat Vehicle following initial operational testing.

Although the ACV could maneuver, demonstrate desert and water mobility and provide "suppressive fires in support of dismounted infantry," it did not "meet its 69-hour mean time between operational mission failures threshold," according to a report on the vehicle's Initial Operational Test and Evaluation, a three-month test of the eight-wheeled vehicle.

The vehicles, which can carry 16 people and are meant for travel from ship to shore, in addition to overland travel, broke down more times than acceptable, Task & Purpose and the Marine Corps Times reported this week.

The report noted failures of remote weapons stations, hatch and ramp sensors, and suspension components.

Additionally, the vehicles had tire failures in desert assessments, leading to delays of up to two hours, but the vehicle successfully performed 12 of 13 missions during the tests.

Although the Pentagon report cited the weapon system for the largest number of failures, the M2.50-caliber machine gun mounted to the ACV hit its target 91 percent of the time while it was stationary, and 97 percent when in motion.

Members of the Marine infantry company involved in the tests also said interior seats were too small for personnel wearing body armor, making it uncomfortable and difficult to exit the vehicle quickly in an emergency.

"Due to the placement and number of blast mitigating seats, interior space within the ACV is limited, making rapid ingress and egress difficult," the report said.

"Infantry Marines noted that the troop seats were not contoured to fit body armor configurations, leading to discomfort during long-range ship-to-objective missions," it added.

Related Links
Naval Warfare in the 21st Century

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

U.S., Britain declare Carrier Strike Group 2021 deployment
Washington DC (UPI) Jan 19, 2021
The United States and Britain confirmed a joint declaration Tuesday for the Carrier Strike Group 2021 deployment to be led by Britain's aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth. Signed by acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller and British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, the joint declaration enables the deployment of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps equipment and personnel as part of the inaugural operational deployment of the Carrier Strike Group. The deployment will include a detachment of U ... read more