The Marines are fitting their 25-year-old AAV-7 amphibious tractors with thermal sights, replacing old starlight scopes with a range of just half a mile, according to Defense Industry Daily

AAV7A1: Amphibious Tractors Forever

The replacement AAV7A1 day/night sight must provide daylight as well as nighttime sighting ability to detect targets to 4.7 km, recognize targets to 2.5 km, and identify targets at 700 m.

The AAV upgrades reflect the Marines’ growing acceptance that they’re going to have to hold onto these ancient vehicles indefinitely. The first sign was the initiation of a top-to-bottom rebuild similar to the Army’s tank remanufacturing initiative that aims to keep 15-year-old M-1s crawling into the 2030s.