The yard, based on the River Torridge, has built more than 350 ships, including naval fishery protection vessels, trawlers, passenger-vehicle ferries, dredgers and bulk carriers.
But we're just describing to you what I'm looking at -- the charred AAV, an amphibious assault vehicle, is basically one of those armored personnel carriers the Marines are using.
The vehicle business was assembled more recently, and although it faces a downdraft in demand as U.S. troops depart Iraq, its Bradley fighting vehicle looks well positioned to replace aging Army troop carriers.