Early into the war for American Independence, General George Washington, commander & chief of the Army and Navy at the time, knew that in order to reign victorious, it was important to gain naval superiority against Britain. Naval supremacy would give General Washington the ability to keep British vessels from getting safely to harbor to provide supplies, troops, or evacuation efforts for British soldiers fighting inland at the Battle of Virginia Capes, in which General Cornwallis surrendered (Potter, p.52-53). Since then, the United States has continued this long tradition of a strong and powerful Navy. However, in order to take on the beaches of hostile territories, the Navy needs the help of the United States Marine Corps (USMC). The Marine …show more content…
These structures of Marine forces serve as a worldwide service and can be deployed anywhere within a matter of 48 hours (The US Marine Corps, Types of MAGTFS). This structure of highly trained Marines and Sailors require several technologies to get these forces from sea-to-shore in a timely manner, while still having the ability to protect the Marines on board, and ultimately get them in a position where they are able to accomplish the mission with ease. Arguably, the most influential piece of technology that has contributed to the MAGTF’s goals of logistical support would be the introduction of the Amphibious Assault Vehicle …show more content…
The introduction of this technology has further enabled to Marine Corps to deploy from a Navy vessel, such as a LHD, with great efficiency (The US Navy). The AAV-7 brought both the capabilities of a small landing boat, such as the Higgins boat, and an armored tracked vehicle with weapon systems that could be easily attached. Along with this, the AAV-7 has the ability to carry more than 5 tons of gear and up to 24 Marines (three of which are the crew) on board. Probably the biggest benefit the AAV-7 has brought is it’s enhancement of armor. The AAV-7 is covered entirely with a heavy aluminum haul, which provides Marines with the protection they need to get closer to their objective. This was a tremendous enhancement to amphibious assaults by ensuring the protection and survivability of Marines against enemy counter attacks (US Marine Corps, AAV-1). Without a versatile vehicle such as this, ensuring the delivery of troops and supplies ashore would be impossible.
Conclusion
As the United States Marine Corps continues its mission at maintaining itself as a global peacekeeper, the need for more technology is going to arise in order to ensure that its goals keep in place. One piece of technology that will continue to be one of the most desired pieces of machinery that the Marine Corps continues to develop would be the AAV-7. Its implementation has improved the MAGTFs goals efficient logistics support