U.S. Marine Corps Opens 30mm Cannon Plant for Amphibious Combat Vehicle in Pennsylvania.

The U.S. Marine Corps has inaugurated a domestic 30mm cannon production facility at Kongsberg Defense Corp in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, to support its Amphibious Combat Vehicle fleet. The move strengthens ACV lethality and shields a critical modernization program from overseas supply chain risk.

The U.S. Marine Corps formally opened a new 30mm cannon production facility at Kongsberg Defense Corp’s site in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on February 20, 2026, establishing a U.S.-based manufacturing line for the medium caliber weapon that equips the Amphibious Combat Vehicle 30mm variant. Senior Marine Corps leaders attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, highlighting the operational and strategic value of domestic production for one of the service’s core modernization efforts. The facility will manufacture the stabilized 30mm system integrated onto the ACV-30, providing Marine infantry units with organic, mobile direct fire support during littoral and expeditionary operations. By relocating production to the United States, the Corps reduces reliance on foreign supply chains while reinforcing industrial resilience tied to amphibious warfare readiness.
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U.S. Marine Corps senior leaders and Kongsberg Defense Corp officials pose in front of a U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicle during the February 20, 2026 ribbon-cutting ceremony at Kongsberg’s Johnstown, Pennsylvania facility, marking the launch of U.S.-based production for the ACV-30’s stabilized 30mm cannon system. (Picture source: U.S. Department of War)

The new facility establishes U.S.-based manufacturing capacity for the stabilized 30mm remote turret integrated on the ACV-30 variant of the U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicle. This development not only accelerates delivery timelines but also reduces supply chain vulnerabilities for a combat system designed to operate at the forefront of contested littoral operations. For the U.S. Marine Corps, which is reshaping its force structure under Force Design 2030, industrial sovereignty over key lethality systems is directly tied to operational readiness.

The Amphibious Combat Vehicle program represents the most comprehensive overhaul of U.S. Marine Corps amphibious armored capabilities since the introduction of the LVTP-7 in the 1970s. The ACV is replacing the legacy Assault Amphibious Vehicle family, originally fielded as the LVTP-7 and later modernized into the AAV7A1. While the LVTP-7 provided the U.S. Marine Corps with strategic ship-to-shore mobility for decades, its design reflected Cold War requirements. It lacked the survivability standards required for modern high-intensity warfare.

The legacy LVTP-7 featured a tracked configuration optimized for beach assaults but offered limited mine and improvised explosive device protection, minimal modular armor growth potential, and relatively basic firepower, typically consisting of a .50 caliber heavy machine gun and a 40mm automatic grenade launcher in an exposed turret. Combat experience in Iraq and other theaters highlighted the aging fleet's vulnerability to underbody blasts and modern anti-armor threats. These limitations, combined with increasing maintenance demands and reduced reliability, made replacement unavoidable.

In contrast, the U.S. Marine Corps ACV introduces a modern 8x8 wheeled architecture developed by BAE Systems in partnership with Iveco Defence Vehicles. The wheeled design provides greater operational range, higher road speed, and lower lifecycle maintenance requirements than the tracked LVTP-7. More importantly, the ACV incorporates a V-shaped hull for improved blast mitigation, modular armor packages for scalable protection, energy-absorbing seating, and advanced digital networks that enable integration into U.S. Marine Corps command-and-control systems.

The ACV program is structured around multiple mission variants to support the full spectrum of U.S. Marine Corps amphibious operations. These include the ACV-Personnel variant for infantry transport, the ACV-Command and Control for battlefield coordination, the ACV-Recovery for maintenance and vehicle support, and the ACV-30 armed with a stabilized 30mm cannon. Together, these variants restore armored mobility while embedding modern protection and networked warfare capabilities across U.S. Marine Corps amphibious formations.

The ACV-30 variant, now supported by the new Pennsylvania production facility, delivers a significant increase in organic firepower. The stabilized 30mm remote turret system allows U.S. Marine Corps crews to engage light armored vehicles, fortified positions, small surface craft, and dismounted threats at extended ranges with high accuracy, including while on the move. The system supports programmable airburst and armor-piercing munitions, dramatically expanding the tactical options available to U.S. Marine Corps units during amphibious assaults and littoral maneuver operations.

Compared to the LVTP-7, the ACV-30 transforms the amphibious assault vehicle from a primarily protected transport platform into a networked, survivable, and precision direct-fire combat system. The remotely operated turret enhances crew survivability by eliminating exposed gunner positions, while advanced fire control systems improve first-round hit probability. This evolution is particularly critical as the U.S. Marine Corps prepares for operations in contested maritime environments where adversaries may deploy armored vehicles, anti-ship missiles, unmanned systems, and precision fires.

Operationally, the ACV enables the U.S. Marine Corps to conduct distributed amphibious operations with greater independence. The improved mobility and reliability of the wheeled platform allow faster inland maneuver once ashore, while maintaining full amphibious capability from amphibious assault ships. The platform’s digital backbone ensures integration with joint fires, intelligence networks, and allied systems, enhancing interoperability in coalition operations.

Strategically, establishing domestic production of 30mm cannons reinforces the U.S. defense industrial base and ensures long-term sustainment capacity for a vehicle family expected to remain in service for decades. For international observers and allied militaries evaluating their own amphibious modernization programs, the U.S. Marine Corps ACV demonstrates a shift toward survivable, modular, and lethally equipped amphibious vehicles capable of operating in high-threat, peer-conflict scenarios rather than permissive landing environments.

By replacing the Cold War-era LVTP-7 with the modern Amphibious Combat Vehicle family and expanding U.S.-based production of its 30mm turret systems, the U.S. Marine Corps is aligning platform capability, doctrine, and industrial capacity. The result is a next-generation amphibious force built not only for access from sea to shore, but for sustained combat operations in contested littoral battlefields worldwide.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.