LAV-25

Eight-wheeled amphibious light armored reconnaissance vehicle used by the U.S. Marine Corps since the 1980s, armed with a 25 mm chain gun and capable of swimming ashore from ships.

In service since 1983 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

100

km/h

660

km range

mm gun

12,800

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

US ITAR-controlled

Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.

Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 1983. Status: active · ~800 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 100 km/h

Stronger than 69% of IFVs
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 660 km

Stronger than 65% of IFVs

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 25 mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun
Secondary armament Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods.: 7.62 mm M240 machine guns
Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.: 25 mm

Protection

Armor, countermeasures and survivability.

Armor Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.: Welded steel hull
NBC protection Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments.: Yes

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 6.39 m
Width Overall width — matters for rail/road transport of vehicles.: 2.5 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.: 2.69 m
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 12,800 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 3
Troop capacity Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more.: 3

Bottom 4% of IFVs

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: Detroit Diesel 6V53T
Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.: 275 hp

Stronger than 15% of IFVs
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Diesel, 8x8 wheeled, amphibious

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 800

Stronger than 42% of IFVs
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

Stronger than 23% of IFVs

Specifications compiled from public General Dynamics Land Systems and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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