Taiwan has bought 54 AAVP7-A1 amphibious armored vehicles from the United States. The AAVP7-A1's will be used to form a unit that will stage raids on the Chinese coast in event of war. The first three vehicles are being delivered before the end of the year, with the rest to follow over the next two years. The vehicle weighs 26 tons and can move through the water at 14 kilometers an hour. It has a crew of three and can carry 25 troops or five tons of cargo. Normally, it is launched from larger ships for a run to the shore. Onboard weapons include a 12.7mm machine-gun and an automatic 40mm grenade launcher. The U.S. Marine Corps has been using the AAVP7 for three decades.