Marines from 1st LAR Battalion prepare to move out in
their LAV-25A2 to the range on Al Asad Air Base. The Marines first have to
calibrate the sights on their small-arms prior to going on real-world
operations, February 2, 2009.
An up-armored program was successfully
completed in April 1991 utilizing Light Appliqué System Technique (LAST)
ceramic tile armor kits developed by the Foster-Miller Inc. The $2 million
contract was awarded for 75 prototype kits to add additional armor for LAVs
deploying to Saudi Arabia. The appliqué armor within the LAST kits utilizes a
hook and loop attachment system and can be installed by the crew to add
protection from .50-caliber/12.7mm and 14.5mm rounds. Yet the kits were
developed too late to see action during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. After
the war, the LAST kits were split, equipping Marine LAV units on the East and
West Coasts.
In 1998, Marine LAV units started to
receive passive armor systems with protection against 20mm armor-piercing
rounds fired from 15m away. Known as the Composite Ceramic Armor (CCA) system,
the kits were produced by the Ordnance Systems Division of Rafael, Israel.
SLEP
In 2000, the Marine Corps selected Metric
Systems of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, to perform a Service Life Extension
Program (SLEP) for the branch's remaining 770 LAVs. The program was initiated
to increase survivability, reliability, and bring down the operational and
support costs. To increase the LAV survivability, add-on camouflage panels were
used to reduce the vehicle's visual signature, as well as heat emissions. The
vehicle's exhaust system was treated to improve thermal reduction. Electrical
and electronic systems with high failure rates were upgraded, and corrosion control
was improved, decreasing the operational cost per vehicle. A heads-up display
(HUD) was integrated into the driver's compartment to improve safety during
operations. LAVs assigned to fleet locations had the SLEP kits installed by
contractors. Depot personnel located at Albany, Georgia, and Barstow,
California, would also install the SLEP kits as needed when an LAV underwent
inspections. Once an LAV had received the SLEP upgrades, it was designated an
LAV-A1, the first of which was ready for service in May 2003.
LAV-A2
Program
In 2005 a Marine Corps force structure
review board added five companies to the four LAR battalions, with a goal of
increasing the LAV inventory to 1,005 vehicles. Additional procurement began in
2006, with 125 vehicles needed to field the additional companies. The new
vehicles would incorporate lessons learned from experiences in Iraq and
Afghanistan, these conflicts contributing to significant survivability upgrades
within the Marine Corps' LAV program. The changes gave the vehicle a new A2
designation. The A2's external changes include a three-kit armor system
designed to increase survivability against improvised explosive devices (IEDs)
and kinetic energy weapons. The additional weight of the new armor dictated a
change in the LAV's suspension. The upgraded suspension consists of improved
shocks, struts, torsion bars, drive shafts, and steering knuckles.
Internal
changes include an automatic fire suppression system and better ballistic
protection within the hull. The turret upgrade utilizes electric power to
traverse, replacing the hydraulic system. A Raytheon AN/PAS-13 Improved Thermal
Sight System (ITSS) allows for increased lethality in all-weather day/night
conditions. The sight incorporates a new laser rangefinder, fire-control
solutions, and improved target acquisition, giving the A2 enhanced first-hit performance.
In February 2006, a contract was awarded to General Dynamics to produce the
LAV-A2s, with multiple variants, the first of which was accepted on October 12,
2007. The majority of the 893 LAV vehicles within the Marine Corps' inventory
as of 2011 have been brought up from the LAV-A1 baseline to the A2 standard.
The last of the LAV-A1 variants within the inventory will be upgraded as they
are rotated from maritime prepositioning ships.
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