Off the Shelf, Onto the Beach Commercial GPS in Amphibious Combat Vehicles

摘要

Operation of amphibious assault vehicles (AAVs) in combat operations is one of the most arduous land navigation challenges faced by military forces. The U.S. Marine Corps' landing craft currently lacks an integrated navigational system. Consequently, AAV drivers have only a small viewing portal, with a dangerous blind spot, through which to see where they are going and the terrain, personnel, obstacles, and perils surrounding them. Their ability to attend to outside visual cues, such as marker buoys, may be seriously diminished by physical barriers such as sea spray, darkness, fog, and other factors.