Patent ID: 6981461

Claim:
In an advanced amphibious marine vehicle and including a first artificially pressurized gas cushion disposed in a first gas cushion recess wherein said first artificially pressurized gas cushion supports at least a portion of weight of the advanced amphibious marine vehicle when said advanced amphibious marine vehicle is moving forward at high speed on a water surface, the improvement comprising: a first gas cushion recess first land transport means that, when the advanced amphibious marine vehicle is moving forward at high speed on a water surface with said first artificially pressurized gas cushion pressurized, is at least in part retracted into the first gas cushion recess to thereby reduce water contact of the first gas cushion recess first land transport means and wherein said first gas cushion recess first land transport means, when the advanced marine vehicle encounters a beachhead, is extendable downward to make land contact and thereby provide overland support for the advanced amphibious marine vehicle and which further comprises a second artificially pressurized gas cushion disposed in a second gas cushion recess wherein said second artificially pressurized gas cushion supports at least a portion of weight of the advanced amphibious marine vehicle when said advanced amphibious marine vehicle is moving forward at high speed on a water surface and a second gas cushion recess first land transport means that, when the advanced amphibious marine vehicle is moving forward at high speed on a water surface with said second artificially pressurized gas cushion pressurized, is at least in part retracted into the second gas cushion recess to thereby reduce water contact of the second gas cushion first land transport means and wherein said second gas cushion first land transport means, when the advanced marine vehicle encounters a beachhead, is extendable downward to make land contact and thereby provide overland support for the advanced amphibious marine vehicle.