Patrol Air Cushion Vehicle

The Patrol Air Cushion Vehicle (PACV) was a United States Navy river patrol hovercraft used during the Vietnam War.

The PACV was based on Bell Aerosystems Bell SK-5 hovercraft; a licensed version of the British Saunders-Roe (later, British Hovercraft Corporation) SR.N5 hovercraft. The SK-5 was adapted for American military use in 1965. Three were purchased by the U.S. Navy for operations in the emerging Vietnam War. Training of PACV crews was performed in the waters off Coronado, California near San Diego. Feedback from the training period allowed refinements to the design to be made.