page_title: List of United States Marine Corps battalions
section_title: Armor battalions
hierarchical_section_title: List of United States Marine Corps battalions / Active units / Ground Combat Element battalions / Armor battalions
caption_attribution_description: English: 14 APR 2004- An Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV) from Echo Company, 2nd Battalion 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, moves into the city of Fallujah, Iraq. 1st Marine Division, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II, is engaged in Security and Stabilization Operations (SASO) in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq.
context_page_description: This is a list of current United States Marine Corps battalions, sorted by the mission they perform.
context_section_description: The mission of an armor unit is to conduct and support amphibious operations and other operations as required by landing and transporting to inland objectives the surface assault elements and their equipment, and by conducting light armored reconnaissance and limited offensive and defensive operations. When task-organized with infantry, tanks, and other forces, the battalion conducts combined arms operations as a separate maneuver element in support of the Marine Division.
  Currently, Assault Amphibian (AA) battalions utilize the Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAVP-7A1) and consist of a headquarters and service company and two to six AA companies. Each AA company is equipped with 42 AAVs (including personnel, command, and recovery variants) organized into three platoons of 12 AAVs each and an additional six AAVs in the company headquarters. Each AA platoon is capable of transporting an entire Marine rifle company plus any dismounted attachments (e.g., mortar forward observer teams, anti-tank missile crews, scout/sniper or reconnaissance squads) thus transforming into amphibious/mechanized infantry. (One AA company is capable of transporting the assault echelon of a Marine infantry battalion.)  Although plans were in place to replace it with the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, the cancellation of the program is going to prolong use of the AAV.
  Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) battalions use the LAV 25 series of vehicles and consist of a headquarters and service company and four LAR companies. Each LAR company is equipped with 25 LAVs (including 14 LAV-25, two mortar, four anti-tank, one command & control, three logistics, and one recovery variant).
caption: AAVP-7A1
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