LAV-25

The LAV-25 is an eight-wheeled amphibious armored reconnaissance vehicle primarily used by the United States Marine Corps. It is equipped with a 25mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun and can transport a crew of three plus six embarked troops.

Developed in the early 1980s by Canada's Diesel Division of General Motors based on the Swiss MOWAG Piranha I, the vehicle was designed to provide rapid deployment capabilities and mobile firepower for light infantry units. It officially entered service in 1983, filling a critical gap in mobile armored reconnaissance. The vehicle first saw combat during the 1989 invasion of Panama and subsequently played vital roles in Operation Desert Storm, the War in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War. Having undergone multiple modernization programs to the LAV-A2 standard, it remains a cornerstone of expeditionary forces today as plans begin for its eventual replacement by the Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle.