United States Marine Corps

Light Armored Vehicles in Operation Other Then War United States Marine Corps

This book proposes that the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) is an ideal system for service in Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW), and that the Marine Corps must preserve this capability if it is to be able to continue to contribute effectively to these missions. The flexibility, mobility, and relative firepower of the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) has been tested in real world operations in Panama, Somalia, and Kosovo. The doctrinal missions exist in MOOTW for light armor to perform, and certainly the doctrinal employment of light armor is not at odds with the requirements of MOOTW. The Marine Corps is embarking on a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) that will take the vehicle to 2015, when a replacement is to be fielded. The MAGTF Expeditionary Family of Fighting Vehicles (MEFFV) is to replace both the LAV and the tank in 2020. There is a five-year gap, more if there are delays in the MEFFV development and acquisition process, which the Marine Corps must address in order to maintain uninterrupted LAV capability.