United States Marine Corps: News

New US Marine Corps ACVs Receive Kongsberg MST-30 30mm Combat Modules

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4024060.html

The US Marine Corps began to receive new wheeled armored personnel carriers ACV

On November 4, 2020, the first batch of new ACV armored personnel carriers [18 units] was handed over to the 3rd separate amphibious assault battalion of the 1st US Marine Division at the Twentynine Palms US Marine Corps air-ground combat center in California.

As previously reported by BMPD colleagues , BAE Systems in June 2018 won the competition for a promising amphibious armored personnel carrier of the United States Marine Corps with an 8x8 wheel arrangement under the ACV (Amphibious Combat Vehicle) program. The ACV (LW-1) armored vehicle selected by the US Marine Corps, presented by BAE Systems in conjunction with the Italian group Iveco, is a variant of the VBA armored personnel carrier created by Iveco - a modification of the SUPERAV armored personnel carrier, made, in turn, on the basis of the Freccia armored personnel carrier purchased by the Italian army.

In 2018, BAE Systems received a $ 198 million contract for the supply to the US Marine Corps (ILC) for military testing of 30 pre-production ACV vehicles as part of the first phase of the ACV program (ACV 1.1) by September 30, 2019. The start of the transfer of these vehicles to the troops is scheduled for 2020. In February 2020, BAE Systems received a contract worth $ 113.5 million for the supply of 26 more ACV pre-production vehicles to the KMP, all of which are purchased in the ACV-P linear armored vehicle version.

In total, according to the first phase of the ACV program (ACV 1.1), the US Marine Corps is expected to purchase 204 vehicles in the ACV-P linear armored personnel carrier version with a total cost of $ 1.2 billion, and in the second phase of ACV 1.2 - the purchase of 666 more modified vehicles in the four above options, including AC-30 machines (which are supposed to be purchased up to 150). BAE Systems and Iveco were awarded contracts to develop ACV-30, ACV-C and ACV-R variants in June 2019. In total, the KMP plans to equip six battalions with ACV machines, keeping the upgraded AAV7A1 armored personnel carriers (392 units) on the equipment of four more battalions. The production of ACV vehicles for the US Marine Corps is entirely carried out at the American enterprises of BAE Systems.




https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4183955.html

US Marine Corps Reduces Manpower Due to Abandonment of Tanks
Today, 11: 58
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Tank US Marine Corps battalions, bridge companies and law enforcement units are being downsized as part of an overall reorganization of the Armed Forces. Due to the abandonment of tanks, the US Marine Corps (ILC) is reducing its personnel.

The downsized Marines are now being asked to relocate or end their military careers earlier than planned. More than 450 Marines have been affected by the restructuring of the Armed Forces, which began last year. The reform should make the ILC more expeditionary to counter new threats.

The Marines had to explore new career areas, retire early or transfer to army tank units.

USMC Manpower and Reserve spokeswoman Yvonne Carlock said 69 tank battalions have been transferred from the Marine Corps to the Army. Another 259 people were transferred to other units of the ILC. About 60 percent of them chose to become specialists in the field of intelligence, logistics or cyberspace. An additional 128 Marines have taken advantage of early retirement programs.


https://en.topwar.ru/182610-iz-za-otkaza-ot-tankov-korpus-morskoj-pehoty-ssha-sokraschaet-lichnyj-sostav.html

U.S. Marine Corps disbanded its last tank battalion

26 May 2021

For a long time historical 1-th tank the battalion was the pride of the United States Marine Corps. However, the inexorable time turned out to be merciless to this military unit. Commandant General of the Marine Corps David Berger began restructuring the corps. The closure of the Twentynine Palms center in California was followed by the disbandment of the last active Marine armored battalion.

The California-based 1st Marine Tank Battalion was first deployed at the start of World War II. As part of the 1st Marine Division, a tank battalion was deployed to Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.

The decision to eliminate (disband) the last US ILC tank battalion fits into the new vision of the Marine Corps as more mobile and lighter, ready for war with such potential US rivals as China and Russia. Since General Berger took over as Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, the Marines have begun to cut spending in a number of ways. In March 2020, Berger announced the need to reduce tanks.

In the 14 months that have passed since the corps commandant's statement, almost all of the Marine Corps tanks have been transferred to the American army. By 2023, KMP plans to complete the transfer process. Earlier in May 2021, the 2nd Marine Tank Battalion, based at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, was disbanded. When it was disbanded, the commander of the 2nd Marine Division, Major General Francis Donovan, emphasized that the 2nd Tank Battalion had passed a glorious battle path from Iceland in 1941 to Afghanistan today, and was the pride of the 2nd Marine Division.

The tanks that were in service with the Marines are transferred to the army, and the Marine Corps tankers were offered three options for further self-determination: the first option is to continue serving as part of tank crews in army units, the second option is to change their military specialty within the Marine Corps, the third option - early departure from military service.

Currently, as noted by the Marine Corps personnel and reserve representative, Major General Jordan Cochran, 151 tankers have applied for transfer to other positions within the corps, 121 people want to retire early, 12 people want to retire. 89 officers in the officer corps demanded a transfer to other units of the Marine Corps, 2 people asked for early resignation and 2 people were going to retire. Nobody asked for a transfer to army units.

The last commander of the 1st Tank Battalion, in his farewell speech, expressed the hope that the armored units would someday return to the Marine Corps.

I sincerely hope that if the need for tankers ever arises again, the fighting spirit that has been inherent in our battalion for most of a century will be resurrected and inspire the next generations of Marines, as it was on November 1, 1941.

- Lt. Col. Benjamin Adams emphasized during the ceremony.

https://en.topwar.ru/183372-korpus-morskoj-pehoty-ssha-rasformiroval-svoj-poslednij-tankovyj-batalon.html