Military

Light Armored Vehicle-Anti-Tank (LAV-AT)

The LAV-AT is an all-terrain, all-weather vehicle with night capabilities. It is air transportable via C-130, C-141, C-5 and CH-53 E. This vehicle provides mobile, armored, accurate and destructive fire from defiled positions against heavy armored target and fixed fortifications. With its mobility, it can keep pace with it's applicable assigned military unit to provide highly mobile, protected anti-armor fire support to light infantry and reconnaissance forces, and to provide a capability to defeat heavy, armored targets at long ranges. The vehicle can be used in both the defensive and offensive roles. Its primary weapon station is the Emerson turret. When combat loaded there are 2 ready and 14 stowed TOW II ATGMs as well as 200 ready rounds and 800 stowed rounds of 7.62mm ammunition. There are 8 ready rounds and 8 stowed rounds of smoke grenades. The missiles can be loaded under armor. The vehicle can be made fully amphibious within 3 minutes.

The ATWS fires tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided, or TOW, missiles. When a missile is launched, the computer in the vehicle communicates with it through a wire connected to the turret, as the gunner maintains a set of crosshairs on target. This process allows the Marine to guide the missile until contact is made. It provides long-range, stand-off anti-armor fire support to maneuvering Light Armored Reconnaissance Companies and platoons, and observation capability in all climates and during periods of limited visibility. It also has a Far Target Location system, new commander/gunner video sight displays, and an electric elevation and azimuth drive system, which helps rotate the weapon system onto the target. The turret is important because it protects Marines and gives them an enhanced capability that they didn’t have before.

Thanks to advances in technology, Marines can initiate a built-in test to conduct a system check of the components that make up the ATWS to help the operator and maintainer diagnose and troubleshoot the system, a feature not previously available on the legacy turret. The operator can also use an embedded training mode in the ATWS, which is software driven, to support individual and crew training by simulating the firing of the weapon system while viewing targets through the biocular display unit. This function is new to the LAV-ATM platform and will enhance sustainment training while in garrison or the field without wasting resources.

By incorporating a blended training solution, all four existing Tactical Turret Trainers are upgraded with the ATWS and a 3D Diagnostic Turret Trainer, or DTT, is added. The DTT consists of two classrooms with eight student stations and one instructor station each. With a combination of an interactive 3D DTT, which allows the instructor to train multiple students at the same time, the ATWS Tactical Turret Trainer provides the student with the tactile feel of a real ATWS system. Benefits of DTT by other programs include the reduction in student attrition rates and the ability for maintenance tasks to be repeated numerous times, without risk of injury or wear and tear on equipment.

Marine Corps Operational Test Evaluation Activity section began operational testing of the Light-Armored Vehicle Anti-Tank Weapons System aboard the Combat Center 12 January February 2015 and continued until March 8, 2015. The program was completing the Systems Demonstration phase of the program with an operational test. 3rd LAR Marines were among the first to operate the LAV-ATWS, allowing MCOTEA to evaluate the use of and gather feedback regarding the new system.

The LAV-ATM demonstrated a turret reliability of 0.95, exceeding the requirement of 0.9 and an operational availability of 0.965 exceeding the requirement of 0.85. Because of the short duration of the OA, it cannot be concluded with statistical confidence that the reliability requirement has been met. The LAV-ATM met its classified probability of hit requirements.

In September 2017, Marine Corps Systems Command’s LAV-AT Modernization program team achieved initial operational capability by completing its first fielding of four upgraded Anti-Tank Weapon Systems to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion Marines at Camp Pendleton, California.

The LAV-ATM program was established in 2012 to enhance the reliability, availability and maintainability of the vehicle’s turret system. he team’s goal was to get a new turret system on the LAV-AT platform that was easy to maintain, reliable and effective.

Marine Corps Inventory: Fielding will be completed by the end of 2019.
Unit Replacement Cost: $1,252,000