AFV Club 35022 LVTP5A1 NAM

The LVTP-5 was an American APC from the Cold War period. The first prototypes were built in 1950, and serial production continued in the years 1952-1957 and led to the creation of about 1150 vehicles of this type. The vehicle was powered by an engine Continental LV-1790-1 with 702 HP. It was armed with a single 7.62mm machine gun and - in some examples - a 105mm howitzer or two 40mm M2A1 autocannons.

The LVTP-5 was developed as a successor to the WWII amphibious vehicles used by the Marine Corps and the US Army. Many solutions were taken from the M59 and M75 armored personnel carriers. The LVTP-5 was designed primarily for land-sea operations and the elements related to the first phase of such operations clearly influenced the design of the vehicle. First of all, it had a relatively large hull, which could accommodate from 34 to 43 soldiers, with a bottom shaped in such a way as to improve the buoyancy of the vehicle. The vehicle could also carry loads of up to 8 tons, while still maintaining a limited buoyancy. However, as an armored personnel carrier, the LVTP-5 did not work: it was very easy to hit, when hitting a mine, the landing compartment immediately filled with fire, and the vehicle also required a long and careful maintenance. Several versions of the vehicle were developed in the course of serial production, including: LVTR-1 (technical support vehicle), LVTC-5 (command vehicle) or LVTH-6 (fire support vehicle with 105 mm caliber howitzer). The LVTP-5 vehicles were operated primarily in the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1971. Later, they began to be quickly replaced by the LVTP-7 (AAV-7) vehicles. The LVTP-5 vehicles were also exported to Chile, the Philippines and Taiwan.