AAV-7A1

The AAV-7A1 is a fully tracked amphibious landing vehicle used by the United States Marine Corps and other nations. It is designed to transport troops and cargo from ship to shore and conduct subsequent operations on land.

Developed in the late 1960s to replace the aging LVT-5 series, the vehicle originally entered service with the U.S. Marine Corps in 1972 as the LVTP-7 before undergoing a major service life extension program in 1982 to become the AAV-7A1. The platform saw its first major combat deployment during the Falklands War with Argentine forces, and was later heavily utilized by U.S. forces in the Gulf War, Somalia, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. After five decades of service, the U.S. Marine Corps began phasing out the aging fleet in 2020 in favor of the wheeled Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV), though the AAV-7A1 remains in service with several international allies.