“For nearly 250 years, the United States Marine Corps has answered the call to defend this great nation and our allies—often in the most unforgiving conditions and against the most determined adversaries,” said Maj. Gen. Jason L. Morris, Director, Operations Divisions, Plans, Policies & Operations. “Amphibious operations are woven into the very fabric of what it means to be a Marine. ACVs are more than a capability—they are part of our legacy.”
Senior leaders including Maj. Gen. Jason L. Morris, Stephen Bowdren, Program Executive Officer Land Systems, and Chris Melkonian, Program Manager for Advanced Amphibious Assault, attended the ceremony. The Corps described the delivery as a celebration not just of numbers, but of innovation, resilience, and mission assurance.
The ACV is being fielded across all three Marine Expeditionary Forces, designed to provide unmatched mobility, protection and lethality. It enables Marines to launch from ships in nearly any weather, cross open waters, storm beachheads, support infantry inland and return safely.
According to the Corps, work by the Program Manager for Advanced Amphibious Assault has been critical to meeting the requirements of modern warfare. Lessons from the ACV’s inaugural deployment have shaped improvements in embarkation logistics, maintenance and interoperability with allied forces.
“In a time of rising global instability and emerging threats, the Marine Corps remains at the forefront of defending the Nation and its allies and partners, and advancing our national interests,” said Program Manager for Advanced Amphibious Assault Chris Melkonian. “The ACV is a critical enabler of that effort—and that capability exists because of your professionalism, your craftsmanship, and your commitment to excellence.”
The 300th ACV was built in York, Pennsylvania, at one of the platform’s primary manufacturing facilities. It has already been fielded to 2d Assault Amphibian Battalion at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where Marines are training to employ it alongside fellow warfighters.
Source: U.S. Marine Corps.
