Romania Receives First AAV-7 Tracked Amphibious Vehicles from the U.S.

The Romanian Naval Forces received the first AAV-7 tracked amphibious vehicles from the United States.

The commissioning ceremony for the first nine vehicles was held at the Babadag garrison, the Romanian Naval Forces reported.

The procurement of the armored vehicles began in 2023 and covered the delivery of 21 vehicles. In 2024, Romania announced plans to purchase another 44 vehicles.

The Romanian government requested to purchase the tracked armored vehicles from the United States in the AAVP-7A1 variant, designed to transport and land troops, AAVC-7A1 command vehicles, and AAVR-7A1 armored recovery vehicles.

The deliveries are planned in two phases: 21 vehicles in the first phase and 44 in the second.

The delivery of the entire batch of armored vehicles to the Romanian Naval Forces is planned to be completed between 2026 and 2031.

The new amphibious vehicles will enter service with the 307th Marine Infantry Regiment Heracleea.

The vehicles will enhance the unit’s response capabilities in the Danube Delta and along the Black Sea coast.

AAV-7

The AAV-7 has a three-person crew and can carry up to 21 paratroopers or five tonnes of cargo. Its turret is armed with an M2 Browning 12.7 mm machine gun and an Mk.19 40 mm automatic grenade launcher.

FMC Corporation began developing the AAV-7 (Assault Amphibious Vehicle) in the 1960s to replace the outdated LVT-5.

Serial production of the vehicle, initially designated LVTP-7, began for the U.S. Marine Corps in the 1970s.

The U.S. is phasing out these vehicles as the Marine Corps actively replaces them with more modern eight-wheeled ACVs (Amphibious Combat Vehicles).