Stoner

What do you think is the best IFV/AFV for Marine ops?

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Fury

Well obviously an amphibious vechile. I would go for the BTR series or BMP as they require no special preparations to cross water obstacles.

Stoner

How about the AAV7P, how will you compare it with the BMP or BTR?

Fury

I don't much about AAV7P only seen pictures of it. The BTR vechile has those handy side hatches allowing troops to get in and out from the vehiles sides while the vechile itself is moving.

Wraith601

The AAV7P may be amphibous, but it's armor and weapons leave much to desired compared to IFVs. All it packs is a .50 MG and and Mk-19 grenade launcher. The armor is only capable of stopping 14.5 MG rounds with applique panels and the vehicle is very vulnerable to RPGs. I guess that's why the MArines are buying new Amtracks pretty soon.

lemontree

In that case the BMP-1/BMP-2 win out against the AAV7P, since it can provide protection against RPG-7 projectiles, and it has the 30mm cannon and Konkurs ATGM as its weapons.

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Injecteer

btw, the BTR is not an IFV, its APC

the BMPs are real IFVs

lemontree

A pic of an Indian army BMP-2 in an amphibious exercise.

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-F...mages/0316.jpg

Fury

You know what...you're right My bad, should have thought better. Well then CV90 for an IFV or BMP-3, atleast those two are my favorites

ChrisF202

Well in the USMC we use some sort of smphibious amored vehicle, I think its called the ATAV4 or something Im not sure how good it is or how many ppl it can carry. I look up the details.

lemontree

Chris
What is an ATAV4? I tried to google, but did not find any thing on it. As far as the present info on US APCs is available, the news is on the Stryker series of APCs. The Stryker seems to lack a lot of punch in its weapon systems to be counted as an IFV. The Swedish CV90 series seems better w.r.t the Stryker.

PaulG

ASLAV? Sorry LAV-25 for Amercans.

lemontree

Although the present US army APCs do not campare well with IFVs like the BMP-2/ 3 or the CV9030/40, but it suits the US army and it purpose. The US army/marines would not need that kind of firepower in their APCs, since by the time they make physical contact with the enemy, the poor buggers would have already have been bombed to smiterrens, by the cruise missiles/airforce or battleships.

But the LAV-25/AAV7P would be unsuitable for other armies that do not have similar capabilty to gain air superiorty/supremacy to cause enough damage on enemy defences. Hence, it makes it necessary for their mechanised infantry to have inherent firepower to take on hard points/anti-tank resources of the enemy defences.

PaulG

What about insurgencies? Guerrilla warfare operates even when the enemy has air superiority. Sorry just bieng pedantic.

Wraith601

When your enemy is mostly dismounts, lightly entrenched, or riding around in "technicals" (civilian vehicles) you can get by on 50 cals or grenade launchers. If you want to fight heavy armor formations you need chain guns, heavy ATGMs, and of course tank support. The Stryker is good as long as you stick to fighting guerillas and leg infantry, but if you engage massed armor you have major problems.

The Marine's new amtrack is the EFV-1, formerly AAAV. It packs a 30 mm autocannon, 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, and is armored up to 14.5mm rounds standard, and I assume add on RPG protection will be fielded. It's also considerably faster on and and water than the AAV-7 and has more electronic gadgets. It's still about 4-5 years from fielding though.