John Teasdale looks at the role played by LVTP-7 amphibious landing vehicle
The LVTP-5 amphibious landing vehicle was deployed by the US Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and it served them well enough. However, it was not without its problems: it was very large, which made it an obvious target; infantry refused to ride inside it in a combat zone as the petrol tanks were liable to explode if the vehicle hit a mine (the men rode on the roof); the petrol engine used an inordinate amount of fuel and the wheels and suspension were inadequate for prolonged operation on land.
Design work on a replacement for the LVTP-5 began even before the Vietnam War was fought. The Ordnance Division of the FMC Corporation, which had first been given a contract to design an amphibian for the Marines in 1941, undertook a concept study on a vehicle designated LVTPX11 in 1961.
FMC in fact produced two designs, one featuring maximum armour protection and the other maximum performance in the water. The vehicles had an aluminium hull, large diameter (24in, 61 cm) road wheels for good performance on land, a loading door for the cargo bay in the bow of the vehicle and a stern-mounted Cummins V8 diesel engine/Allison XTG250 auto…
