The Log May 3, 2006
High-Speed Armored Vehicles Being Tested Off Oceanside
By Jack Innis
OCEANSIDE - Boaters within 25 nautical miles of Oceanside Harbor who believe they see armored tanks racing around - on the surface of the water, at that - need not call their optometrist.
The U.S. Marine Corps is testing prototypes of its new Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) through June off Oceanside, according to the Coast Guard's Local Notice to Mariners. The amphibious armored personnel carrier uses a high-performance diesel engine and some nifty mechanical devices that allow it to plane at high speeds.
It will replace the aging Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV) in 2008. AAVs plow through the water at speeds up to approximately 8 mph, while the EFV's planing hull allows it to achieve speeds as fast as 29 mph, according to the security information Web site www.globalsecurity.org.
To achieve such speeds, the EFV utilizes hydraulically controlled panels that function as extendable planes on the bow and stern. The Marine Corps intends to build more than 1,000 EFVs.
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