EFV

The “over-the-horizon landing” strategy was developed by the command of the US Marine Corps in the 1980s, the main reason for developing a new strategy was the desire to protect landing ships from coastal naval mines and coastal defenses , since before that the landing of vehicles with airborne troops was carried out at a distance 3-4 km from the coast, in conditions of visual contact with the enemy, and the command of the ILC intended to raise this level tenfold or more, making the grouping of ships invulnerable to the fire of coastal defense forces. The main means of practical implementation of this strategy are the landing craft capable of carrying out “over-the-horizon operations”, such as the tiltrotor MV-22 Osprey , the airborne assault craft LCAC and the floating armored personnel carrier EFV, declared at that time as the three main priorities of the KMP ^[2] .

The development of AAAV began in the late 1970s, and the first prototypes were tested in the early 1980s at the Pendleton military base, at the Amphibian Vehicle Test Branch , AVTB test site. At about the same time, a Life Exposure Program (SLEP) developed by LVTP7, later renamed AAV (AAV-7A1), was developed. Initially, it was assumed that AAAV would go to the troops in the mid-1990s, but delays in program implementation resulted in the development and adoption of the second AAV life extension program in 1995, and delays in the delivery of EFVs have already exceeded 15 years.

The collection of advanced projects of promising machines from companies of the military industry was announced in 1985 ^[3] . The main tactical and technical requirements for the car were: capacity up to 18 paratroopers with weapons and equipment, landing from the carrier ship at a distance of at least 30 km from the coast, high road performance on land, allowing to accompany the M1 tanks and sufficient firepower ^[4] . The name “AAAV”, given to the project, was first made public in 1989 — at that time it was still unclear what this machine would be like and what it would be armed with.

Since 1988, several large tank-building corporations have taken part in the competition, each of them presented its own running / floating vehicle layout: ^{[5] [6]}

• AAI Corporation , Hunt Valley , MD ;
• , Warren , Michigan ;
• , Lima , Ohio ;
• General Motors Military Vehicles Operation , Warren , MI ;
• FMC Corporation Ground Systems Division , San Jose , California .

GDLS and FMC (separated in in 1994) reached the final of the competition. FMC collaborated with ARCTEC Offshore Corporation, which was responsible for hydrodynamic testing of prototype prototypes. The test program of the seaworthiness of the machine and hydrodynamic tests took place in 1993-1995. in the pilot basins of the participating companies, as well as in natural reservoirs at the facilities of the marine infantry (the wave roughness of the water surface during hydrodynamic tests varied from zero to one meter high with a full combat load). Tests of road performance of cars passed on tank test sites of the country, first of all on the Aberdeen test range ^[3] .

Both prototypes, both GDLS and UDLP, showed high running and seaworthy qualities, speed of movement afloat exceeding 30 knots (55.5 km / h). Both cars were driven afloat by water-jet propellers , and the UDLP prototype was also equipped with two propellers . The prototype of the UDLP was a hydrofoil machine (located in the stern, pushed forward and zoomed back when approaching the coast) with a sharp-nosed hull and a hydrotape bottom of the catamaran type, creating a layer of incoming air under pressure ( airbag ) between the bottom and water surface. The GDLS prototype implemented the principle of the glider with the help of a special flap located in the frontal part of the machine. The driver’s workplace with a hatch and sight gauges on both machines was located in front of and to the left of the tower, respectively, the commander’s place, the turret and observation devices were on the right. At the same time, the tower of the UDLP prototype was brought forward slightly in comparison with the GDLS prototype ^{[3] [4]} .

The UDLP prototype, tested by May 1995, with a total combat mass of 35 tons, developed afloat at a speed of 69 km / h. The practical speed of movement of both machines in combat conditions with an intense opposition of the enemy was estimated at 20-25 knots (37-46 km / h). The UDLP program manager in charge was Tom Rabaut . The date of the for production and operation was scheduled for 2006, the launch into mass production for 2007–2008, the complete replacement of LVTP7 in the troops by 2014 ^[2] . Especially for AAAV, Detroit Diesel Corporation (a subsidiary of General Motors ) developed a 2600 hp diesel engine. ^[7] The main armament of the machine was a 25-mm automatic gun of the type with stabilization , ensuring the destruction of targets at a distance of up to 1,500 meters and the possibility of aimed fire afloat and on the move ^[3] .

Although both cars showed high seaworthiness and road performance, ^{[3] a} victory in the competition was eventually won by the GDLS prototype. In June 1996, the company received a contract for conducting final testing ^[8] . At the moment, the US Marine Corps is awaiting the commencement of the EFV serial production deployment and the delivery of armored personnel carriers to the troops, where they will gradually replace the AAV-7A1. Originally it was planned to purchase 1013 EFV machines, but at the moment this number is reduced to 57, due to the increased cost of the program .

EFV is a tracked amphibious armored personnel carrier, with a welded hull, made of aluminum armor 2519 -T87 with improved characteristics of corrosion resistance ^[9] . The hull shape is classic, with straight sides, developed by NLD and having a slight negative slope on the back wall. The hull roof is flat, with a tower installed closer to the front, a landing hatch in the rear, and crew hatches in the front. The bottom is profiled to ensure the EFV gliding.

The front of the hull is occupied by the transmission compartment, behind it is the combat compartment, in which the driver’s seats (on the left side) and the commander of the landing force (on the right side) are located. The middle part of the fighting compartment is occupied by a turret with installed main armament, in the turret there are gunner and commander seats. The middle part of the body is occupied by the power section, in which the diesel engine MTU 883, cooling and ventilation systems, the main transmission are located . In the aft part of the hull is a branch of the assault force, which can accommodate 16 paratroopers with weapons and equipment, or 2.5 tons of cargo. For the entry-exit landing in the rear wall of the hull equipped with an oval single door hatch, opening down, and forming in the open state a small ramp for marines or cargo.

Fuel tanks are located on the roof of the hull in the middle, along the sides.

Engine MTU 833 diesel, 12-cylinder, V-shaped, water cooled, with turbocharging . Engine capacity 27 liters. A feature of this engine is that it can operate in two modes, the usual (850 hp.) And the sea (2701 hp.). In the second case, the engine only works on EFV jet propulsion and requires cooling with seawater.

Transmission manual, with an automatic transmission and torque converters , transfer case allows you to transfer engine power simultaneously on tracked and jet propulsion.

The chassis has 7 rubber-supported road wheels on each side, the suspension is hydropneumatic, independent, the leading rollers are forward, on each side there are 3 supporting rollers. Caterpillar small-link, aluminum, with rubber-metal joint and rubber protector. When driving on water, the suspension drives the track rollers to the highest position, in order to reduce the resistance to movement, the tracks are almost completely recessed into the niche.

Two jet propulsion units are located along the sides in the rear of the hull, water is taken from the bottom in the middle of the hull, and is ejected through nozzles on the rear wall of the hull. The nozzles are equipped with flaps, with the overlap of which the water enters the reversing nozzles on the side of the housing. Management by the course is carried out by partial or complete overlapping of one flap, the reverse is done by overlapping two. When moving overland, the dampers completely overlap the nozzles of water cannons, protecting them from foreign objects. The total thrust of jet propulsion is about 10 tons.

When driving through the water in the front and rear, two shields are folded back, facilitating the exit of the EFV into planing mode. Rear shield in the raised position is located on the roof. When moving along the water, the side parts of the caterpillars cover themselves with two reclining side shields, while moving over land the shields can be lifted and serve as additional protection to the hull.

The main armament of the EFV is the Bushmaster II 30-mm automatic gun , mounted in a rotating turret in the front of the hull. The gun is a 30-mm further development of the 25-mm Bushmaster cannon installed in the tower of the American M2 Bradley BMP . Feed tape, ammunition guns 600 rounds (150 with sub-caliber armor-piercing and 450 with high-explosive fragmentation projectiles). 7.62-mm machine gun M240 is paired with a gun, machine- gun ammunition is 2400 rounds. On both sides of the hull and turret 32 ​​smoke grenade launchers are installed.

The instrument is stabilized in both planes . The angle of elevation of the gun allows you to fire at low-flying air targets , such as helicopters .

EFV has a fairly wide range of survey, sighting, navigation and auxiliary equipment, including:

• Day and night sights of the commander, driver and gunner.
• FLIR infrared viewing system.
• Laser rangefinder , combined with the gunner's sight.
• Fully automatic MSA of the main gun, taking into account such parameters as the distance to the target, the type of projectile, wind direction, air temperature, humidity , elevation.
• Navigation system with GPS .
• Internal and external communication system.
• Combat information and control system , which includes several overview and tactical screens.
• Automatic fire extinguishing system.
• The system of protection against weapons of mass destruction , including the system of cleaning and air conditioning.
• Diesel auxiliary power unit (APU) with an electric generator .

The command variant of the EFVC is distinguished by the fact that in its combat and airborne compartments additional equipment is installed for 7 workplaces equipped with communication systems and tactical displays. The main armament of the command version is missing.

In addition to the aluminum armored hull, the combat compartment and the troop compartment are protected by additional armor made of composite materials based on ceramics. From the front sectors of the bombardment, the EFV armor should provide protection against 30 mm projectiles of the BOPTS type, the onboard, stern armor and horizontal surfaces of the vehicle - provide protection against the 14.5-mm armor-piercing bullets of the KPVT machine gun and 152-mm projectile fragments . Installation of hinged armor is also possible.

In October 2010, the US Navy issued a contract to M Cubed Technologies to develop new composite armor for an EFV vehicle with improved defensive characteristics and a smaller mass ^[10] .

• LVTP7
• Bushmaster II
• ZBD2000 - Chinese equivalent of EFV

• Official USMC Site
• MTU diesel engines
• Globalsecurity EFV article