LARC-V is an aluminium-hulled amphibious

Amphibious vehicle

An amphibious vehicle , is a vehicle or craft, that is a means of transport, viable on land as well as on water – just like an amphibian....

 cargo vehicle capable of transporting 5 tons. It was developed in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 during the 1950s, and is used in a variety of auxiliary roles to this day.

Operational history

LARC-Vs were used by the Argentine Marines during the 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands

1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands

On 2 April 1982, Argentine forces mounted amphibious landings of the Falkland Islands . The invasion involved an initial defence force organised by the Falkland Islands' Governor Sir Rex Hunt giving command to Major Mike Norman of the Royal Marines, the landing of Lieutenant-Commander Guillermo...

.

In January 2011 during the 2010–2011 Queensland floods

2010–2011 Queensland floods

A series of floods hit Australia, beginning in December 2010, primarily in the state of Queensland including its capital city, Brisbane. The floods forced the evacuation of thousands of people from towns and cities. At least seventy towns and over 200,000 people were affected. Damage initially was...

 the RAAF C-17 aircraft were reported to carry two vehicles for use in Operation Flood Assist. The vehicles were deployed from Townsville to RAAF Base Amberley

RAAF Base Amberley

RAAF Base Amberley is a Royal Australian Air Force base located southwest of Ipswich, Queensland and southwest of Brisbane. It is currently home to No. 1 Squadron and No. 6 Squadron , No. 33 Squadron and No. 36 Squadron...

.

U.S. Navy service life extension program

The United States Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) has directed the Sealift Support Program Office (SSPO) to supervise a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) on the LARC V's used by the Navy. This SLEP involved changing from a mechanical to an hydraulic transmission, updating the electrical system, and improving other on-board systems. These reworked LARCs began delivery in June 2006 for use by U.S. Navy Beach Master Units, Underwater Construction Teams and the Maritime Prepositioned Force ships. A total of 42 LARCs are currently funded to transition through the SLEP process.

Towing capacity on land was improved to approximately 29,000 lb and bollard pull in water was doubled to 7600 lb. The vehicle operates in all-wheel drive while in land or tow modes. The craft is powered by a 375 horsepower John Deere

Deere & Company

Deere & Company, usually known by its brand name John Deere , is an American corporation based in Moline, Illinois, and the leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery in the world. In 2010, it was listed as 107th in the Fortune 500 ranking...

 turbo-charged diesel engine that is Tier 2 certified. Engine speed is constant with an hydraulic transmission modifying speed.

Design and manufacture of the SLEP LARC-V's was carried out by Power Dynamics, LLC of Stennis Space Center, Mississippi.

Operators

 Philippines

• Philippine Marine Corps
  Philippine Marine Corps
  The Philippine Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Philippines, and is part of the Philippine Navy.- History :...
  
  

• United States Navy
  United States Navy
  The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
  
  
  • Beachmaster Unit One
    Beachmaster Unit One
    Beachmaster Unit One, is a United States Navy amphibious beach party unit based at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in Coronado, California. BMU-1 is the sister unit of Beachmaster Unit Two located in Norfolk, Virginia.-Mission:...
    
    
  • Beachmaster Unit Two
    Beachmaster Unit Two
    Beachmaster Unit Two is a United States Navy amphibious beach party unit based at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek in Little Creek, Virginia...
    
    

 Australia

• Australian Army
  Australian Army
  The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
  
  
  • Royal Australian Corps of Transport
    Royal Australian Corps of Transport
    The Royal Australian Corps of Transport is a corps within the Australian Army. It was formed in 1973 and is responsible for the operation of army surface transport assets.-Role:...
    
    
• Australian Antarctic Division
  Australian Antarctic Division
  The Australian Antarctic Division is an agency of the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities . The division undertakes science programs and research projects to contribute to an understanding of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean...
  
   (for resupply purposes to the research station on Macquarie Island)

 Argentina

• Argentinian Navy

 Portugal

• Portuguese Marine Corps
  Portuguese Marine Corps
  The Portuguese Marine Corps are a special operations force unit in the Portuguese Navy. The corps is specialised in amphibious warfare, coastal reconnaissance, maritime interdiction and boarding operations...
  
  

Specifications

• Land speed: 30 mph
• Water speed: 7.5 knots
• Capacity: 3 crew + 20 passengers (up to 10,000 lbs.)
• Maximum gradient: 60 %
• Fuel capacity: 144 gallons diesel total (2 tanks)
• Unloaded land range: 280 to 335 miles
• Unloaded sea range: 110 miles

In popular culture

• Several LARC-V vehicles with Soviet markings appeared in the 2001 movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
  Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
  Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is a 2001 adventure thriller film adapted from the Tomb Raider video game series. Directed by Simon West and starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, it was released in U.S. theaters on June 15, 2001. The film was a commercial success...
  
  
• The LARC-V was featured in Modern Marvels
  Modern Marvels
  Modern Marvels is a documentary television series that premiered on January 1, 1995 on History. The program focuses on how technologies affect and are used in today's society....
  
   on the History channel

External links

• LARC-V at GlobalSecurity.org