Reply #16: The vehicles I saw on TV in Baghdad looked like a type [View All]

of duck boat. they looked a lot like the WWII ducks, updated.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/08/03/iraq.vehicle.ap/


Marines were in amphibious assault vehicle
Armor plating is lighter than heavier Army vehicles


Wednesday, August 3, 2005; Posted: 6:59 p.m. EDT (22:59 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Marines killed Wednesday in Iraq were patrolling desert terrain in a vehicle better suited for those famous Marine Corps beach landings, experts say.

The amphibious assault vehicle -- the Marine Corps' signature transport -- is designed to carry troops in water operations from ship to shore, then operate on the beach and inland.

"You could certainly question whether an amphibious vehicle is the most appropriate ... to be driving around in a desert," said John Pike, defense analyst with GlobalSecurity.org, a private think tank.


"It was not designed primarily to drive around in the desert hundreds of miles from the beach," he said. "If they had been riding in an Abrams (tank) this probably wouldn't have happened, but there's not enough Abrams to go around."