page_title: Patrol Air Cushion Vehicle
section_title: Operational history
hierarchical_section_title: Patrol Air Cushion Vehicle / Operational history
caption_attribution_description: English: A US Army ACV hovercraft patrolling the Mekong River in Vietnam
context_page_description: The Patrol Air Cushion Vehicle, also known as the Air Cushion Vehicle in Army and Coast Guard service, was a United States Navy and Army hovercraft used as a patrol boat in marshy and riverine areas during the Vietnam War between 1966 and 1970. Six hovercraft were built, three for the Army and three for the Navy.
  The military developed the PACV because its lack of draft meant that it could operate unimpeded in the shallow and reed-choked waters widespread in South Vietnam, most notably in the Mekong Delta and Plain of Reeds. The PACV was also found to be valuable because of its unusually high speed of 60 knots, faster than other watercraft in the conflict. However, it faced major drawbacks, including its high cost of $1 million and unreliability. During the conflict, two of the Army’s three hovercraft were destroyed by the Viet Cong. The PACVs in Vietnam were considered "unsuccessful" in evaluations and were withdrawn in 1970. Following their service in Vietnam, the Navy PACVs returned to the United States where they were used by the Coast Guard, where another sank in an accident.
context_section_description: PACVs were first deployed to Vietnam in May 1966 as PACV Division 107, Task Force 116, where they were used by the Navy for riverine patrol missions in the Mekong Delta and on the Mekong River. Often called "Pac Vees", they were armed with a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on a rotating platform in the front and two side-mounted M60 machine guns. In addition, the crew, and often US Army Special Forces and ARVN Rangers, riding on the side panels, employed assorted small arms such as M16 rifles and M79 grenade launchers as well as various other rifles, .45 pistols, light and medium machine guns, and grenades, although using small arms was dangerous because spent casings could fall into the propeller. The PACV was used to prevent Viet Cong infiltration from the sea and tidal areas along river mouths and deltas. It was especially useful in shallow marshy areas, especially the Mekong Delta, where other patrol boats such as the Patrol Boat River or Patrol Craft Fast (Swift boat) could not go.
  The PACV's relatively light weight of only seven tonnes meant that it could be easily carried by a CH-54 helicopter. This allowed it to be airlifted between forward operating bases or transported back to base when it suffered damage. The PACV could also be split into sections and then transported in Air Force transport planes, which was how they were brought to Vietnam.
  Navy PACVs were deployed in Operations Game Warden and Market Time, the Navy's operations to deny Viet Cong access to resources in the Mekong Delta and prevent North Vietnamese weapons, fighters, and supplies from entering South Vietnam, respectively. The PACVs were deemed unsuitable for Operation Game Warden because of their "mechanical unreliability" and the limitations imposed on them by terrain. As a result, they were removed from the operation and transferred to another Navy unit, CTF 117. They were also found unsuitable for Market Time operations after serving in that operation from 20 September to 17 October 1966, due to their high noise, low visibility, high cost, and limited utility on the high seas or in narrow waterways. In November 1966, the Navy PACVs were used to great effect in Operation Quai Vat (Vietnamese for "Monster", which was what the Viet Cong called the PACVs). In the operation on the Plain of Reeds, conducted jointly with Vietnamese Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) troops and Army helicopters and special forces, the PACV force brought its speed and firepower to bear on the Viet Cong, killing at least 23 of them, destroying 70 of their sampans and an equal number of their structures, taking many prisoners, and capturing their supplies. This demonstration of combat prowess in the marshy terrain in southwestern Vietnam formed the basis for stationing the Army ACVs in the Plain of Reeds along the South Vietnamese/Cambodian border. An Army evaluation found that in the Plain of Reeds, "any mission requiring ground operations can best be accomplished by ACV unts," particularly reconnaissance, light assaults, infantry transport, canal security, cordoning off areas to prevent escape, and patrolling. Though the loud noise of the PACVs was an issue, their speed made up for it in this otherwise difficult terrain, especially during the monsoon season. The PACV could clear rice paddy dikes and other solid obstacles up to 3 feet (0.91 m) high and negotiate slopes of up to 6 feet (1.8 m). However, the PACV did not perform well in the dry season, with an Army evaluation noting that "The wetter the season, the better for vehicle operations".
  The Navy withdrew the PACVs for overhaul in January 1967 and redeployed them to Vietnam in early 1968. Also in 1968, the Army began employing its version of the PACV, the ACV. The Army acquired the vehicles and activated their unit, the 39th Cavalry Platoon, in January before deploying them to Vietnam in April.  There were only three Navy PACVs and three Army ACVs during the whole Vietnam War. Two of the three ACVs (No. 901 and 902) were Assault Air Cushion Vehicles (AACV), weapons-heavy vessels configured for attack miss
caption: A US Army ACV patrolling the Mekong River
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