Amphibious assault has come a long way from a 1930s hurricane relief concept to the Corps’ latest Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle of today.

The EFV bridges naval warfare and ground combat with armor that can withstand everything except a direct hit from a main-battle tank and three times the speed of the previous Amphibious Assault Vehicle, said Capt. Paul M. Rivera, Developmental Test Officer, Amphibious Vehicle Testing Branch, Marine Corps Systems Command. The Corps prides itself with the ability to fight virtually anywhere and the EFV is another chapter in that legacy.

The vehicle is armed with a MK44 Bushmaster capable of firing both .30- and .40-caliber rounds.  It also is armed with a 7.62 mm machine gun, firing the same rounds as an M14 service rifle, and 32 smoke and gas dispensers for concealment.

“This maching is the future of amphibious assault,” said Sgt. Rady A. Marshall, EFV crew chief and technician, AVTB, MARCORSYSCOM. “This vehicle is great in the water and even better on land with triple the speed taking less than a minute to transform for each environment.”

Traveling capabilities include 325 miles on land and 65 nautical miles in the water with a full payload of 17 combat-loaded Marines and three crewman. The amphibious carrier’s versatility is also apparent with the ability to climb and cross trenches with 100 percent roll recovery.

The development of the EFV was initiated by the Marine Corps in the late 1980s in conjunction with the MV-22 Osprey and the Landing Craft Air Cushion hovercraft taking an “Over the Horizon” strategy, according to a Marine Corps Executive Summary.

Pendleton is home to four of the 10 EFVs in existence and hosts the only test branch in the Corps dedicated to amphibious vehicle development, AVTB, said Rivera. AVTB was established more than 60 years ago to conduct tests and evaluate procedures on amphibious vehicles.

The amphibious warfare program began in the 1930s with a vehicle design by Donald Roebling, originally intended for hurricane relief rescue efforts, and was later adopted by the Marine Corps during the island hopping campaigns of WWII.

Roebling originally named his concept the “Alligator,” but in 1937 the Corps renamed the vehicle “Landing Vehicle Tracked” after being armed with three .30 caliber machine guns and a 37 mm tank turret.

The LVT saw its first practical use during the Tarawa Invasion and was accredited with being the deciding factor in victory, said Theodore L. Gatchel, retired colonel and professor at the Naval War College, R.I.

The LVT was renamed the AAV in 1982 with upgrades in armor, engine size and fire power. AAVs are still used in combat today by the Corps, with hopes of being replaced with the Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle. The AAAV’s name was officially changed to EFV in September 2003.

“The EFV is a keystone for both the Marine Corps Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare and Ship-to-Objective warfighting concepts,” said Rivera.

The Corps intends to purchase 573 EFVs and start large-scale production by 2015.