SAN DIEGO (Washington Insider Magazine) – While it looks into why two of the vehicles ran into difficulties off the coast of Southern California this week while in strong surf, the U.S. Marine Corps will keep its newest amphibious assault vehicle, a sort of seagoing tank, out of the water, defense officials said Wednesday.
When one of the vehicles flipped onto its side Tuesday amid waves that were abnormally high due to a storm in the southern hemisphere, neither sailors nor Marines were hurt. When waves up to eight feet high crashed on the shore, the other one got crippled.
The incidents forced the soldiers to exit the trucks and run for the coast at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, which is located north of San Diego. The San Diego Union-Tribune was the first to report the accidents.
The new cars took the place of amphibious combat vehicles from the Vietnam War, one of which was engaged in one of the Marine Corps’ bloodiest training mishaps of its sort 2 years ago off the coast of Southern California.
Lt. Gen. David J. Furness, the deputy commandant of the Marine Corps for operations, plans, and policies, stated that the officials made the precautionary decision to cease aquatic activities using the newer vehicles while an inquiry was being conducted. The vehicles will still be used for ground operations by the Marine Corps.
In the amphibious vehicle tragedy that happened on July 30, 2020, 8 Marines including one sailor died when the craft sank rapidly in 385 feet of sea near San Clemente Island. The Marines were saved, seven of them.
According to a Marine Corps inquiry, the disaster was caused by weak leadership, poor maintenance, and insufficient training.
The Marines transfer soldiers and their supplies from Navy vessels to land using amphibious vehicles. As they roll ashore for beach assaults, the armored vehicles with machine guns and grenade launchers resemble tanks as Marines stream out of them to take up positions.
