USMC Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle

The Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) is a keystone for the Marine Corps Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare (EMW) and Ship-to-Objective Maneuver (STOM) warfighting concepts, the primary means of tactical mobility for the Marine Rifle Squad during the conduct of amphibious operations and subsequent ground combat operations ashore.

The EFV is an armored, fully tracked infantry combat vehicle that will be operated and maintained by a crew of three Marines, and have a troop capacity of 17 Marines with their individual combat equipment.

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Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV), Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia Beach, VA, May 2007
Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV), Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia Beach, VA, May 2007.

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USMC Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle

The EFV is a replacement for the Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV or AAV7A1) which was originally fielded in 1972.

The total Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) requirement is 1,013 vehicles, of which 935 will be Personnel variants (EFVP1) and 78 Command variants (EFVC1). Personnel variants (EFVP1) are designed to carry 17 combat loaded Marines (in addition to a crew of 3) and equipped with a fully stabilized 30mm automatic chain gun (MK46 Weapon System) and 7.62 coax machine-gun. The Command variant (EFVC1) is designed to carry a battalion/regimental staff in the seven provided staff stations (in addition to a crew of 3), and is armed with a 7.62mm machine-gun.

The EFV was originally known as the Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAAV). The name changed in September 2003. The EFV was planned to begin production in 2007, at which point the AAV was over 35 years old. However, further delays with the EFV program stretched to 2011 with full production still years away. In January 2011 it was announced that EFV was cancelled due to budget pressures.

Three different, less costly vehicle programs will replace the EFV's mission:

  • Assault Amphibious Vehicle Service Life Extension Program (upgrades to increase its survivability and force protection capacity as the operational fully amphibious, self-deploying, armored combat vehicle)
  • Marine Personnel Carrier (wheeled, medium armored personnel carrier)
  • Amphibious Combat Vehicle (future amphibious assault vehicle, land and water mobile, capable of ship-to-objective maneuver from over the horizon)

USMC EFV, at the Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch, located in the Del Mar area of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA
USMC EFV, at the Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch, located in the Del Mar area of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA.

USMC EFV, at the Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch, located in the Del Mar area of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA
USMC EFV, at the Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch, located in the Del Mar area of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA.

General Dynamics Land Systems EFV (Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle). EFV test vehicles, like this one, will be sent to Assault Amphibian battalions for real world testing, to see how Marine Proof they are. The resulting data will be used for the first low rate production vehicles. This will be done in four phases of production at Lima, OH. Each phase of vehicles produced is expected to have improvements from experiences gained in operation and manufacturing, before the actual production run to replace the current AAVP-7 in service. Photographed at Marine West 2006 show at Camp Pendleton, CA 18-19 January 2006. Photo courtesy Franz Tinio-Lopez
General Dynamics Land Systems EFV (Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle). EFV test vehicles, like this one, will be sent to "Assault Amphibian battalions" for real world testing, to see how "Marine Proof" they are. The resulting data will be used for the first low rate production vehicles. This will be done in four phases of production at Lima, OH. Each phase of vehicles produced is expected to have improvements from experiences gained in operation and manufacturing, before the actual production run to replace the current AAVP-7 in service. Photographed at Marine West 2006 show at Camp Pendleton, CA 18-19 January 2006. Photo courtesy Franz Tinio-Lopez.

Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch demonstrate the maneuverability of a prototype Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) for Department of Defense personnel at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia Beach, VA, 1 May 2007
Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch demonstrate the maneuverability of a prototype Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) for Department of Defense personnel at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia Beach, VA, 1 May 2007.