The US Marine Corps, Ready Today, Better Tomorrow

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After 227 years of service, the U.S. Marine Corps stillremains the nation’s premierexpeditionary “Total Force in Readiness.” Operating in task-organized, combined-armsMarine Air-Ground Task Forces(MAGTFs), the Marine Corps is always on call for critical operations in peacetime, crisis,and war, protecting U.S. citizens,interests, and friends whereverand whenever they might be atrisk. Intimately linked in history,culture, doctrine, and combat, the Marine Corps and the Navy provide the United States a flexible, scalable, and cost-effective instrument of securitypolicy. With their readiness toproject enduring sea-basedpower into regions of importanceto the United States, the nation’ssea services promote peace and stability and constitute a first-in combat force whendeterrence fails. the u.s. marine corps–ready today… better tomorrow>
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2The strategic role of the Marine Corpsnow and in the future is the same as thatenvisioned by the Continental Congress inthe fall of 1775, when it established a small,seagoing, expeditionary force for service withthe Continental Navy. Ever since, sea-based,combat-ready Marine and Navy forces havebeen vital to shaping global and regionalsecurity environments, assuring access tooverseas regions, and facilitating timely crisisresponse - anytime, anywhere, from the sea.By remaining ready in peacetime to engagein decisive combat at all levels of intensity,these Naval Services play a vital role in reassuring friends and allies, dissuading anddeterring potential adversaries.Throughout our history, the MarineCorps has always known that people, notweapons, technologies, or systems, ultimatelydetermine operational success during wartimeand other contingencies. Our core values ofhonor, courage, and commitment are pow-erful ideals deeply held by all Marines. Theyare the foundation of our ability to fight andwin - today and in the years to come - just asthey have been for m o re than two centuries ofservice to America.A FUTURE FRAUGHT WITH DANGERDuring the last decade, the United Stateshas witnessed profound changes in worldgeopolitics and international security. New“asymmetrical” threats, often ambiguous but still highly dangerous, now confrontAmerica and its friends. The September 2001terrorist attacks in New York and Washington demonstrated how porous our traditionalborders have become and the ease with whichour homeland can be menaced by global terrorism. Moreover, the central role of the US economy in “globalization” raises the likelihood of direct attacks against U.S. economic interests both at home and abroad.At the same time, failing states, national and regional instabilities, ethnic and social animosities, and economic stresses can allgenerate global crises – often with littlewarning of timing, location, or intensity –that directly affect other U.S. interests.Uncertain distinctions among terroristorganizations, minority subgroups, insur-gent factions, and well-funded internationalcriminal cartels further complicate analready fragmented security landscape. And even as we prepare for these new, non-traditional challenges, the conventionaland anti-access capabilities of unfriendlynation-states – and the threat of weapons ofmass destruction – must also be dealt with.The littorals of the world – where landand sea intermingle and where most of theconflicts of the last century have occurred –will continue to spawn instability, crisis, andwar. Here, more than half of the world’spopulation and three-quarters of its citiesare located. In addition to their militaryimportance, the littorals are crucial to theworld’s economies. All seaborne trade –more than 95 percent of the world’s

> >DEFENDING OUR NATION AGAINST ITSENEMIES IS THE FIRST AND FUNDAMEN-TA LC O M M I T M E N TO FT H EF E D E R A LGOVERNMENT.TODAY,THAT TASK HASCHANGED DRAMATICALLY.ENEMIES INTHE PAST NEEDED GREAT ARMIES ANDGREATINDUSTRIALCAPABILITIESTOENDANGERAMERICA.NO W,SHADOWYNETWORKS OF INDIVIDUALS CAN BRINGGREAT CHAOS AND SUFFERING TO OURSHORES FOR LESS THAN IT COSTS TOPURCHASE A SINGLE TANK.TERRORISTSARE ORGANIZED TO PENETRATE OPENSOCIETIES AND TO TURN THE POWER OFMODERN TECHNOLOGIESAGAINST US.

The Nat i o nal Security Strat e gyof the United States of AmericaSeptember 2002
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3commerce – transits the littoral. Ensuringcontinued access to seaports and coastalregions and safety of transit along sea lines ofcommunication will all increase in strategicimportance in the years ahead.To meet regional and transnational chal -lenges to the peace, good order, and securityof the littorals and our interests abroad, theUnited States must maintain forces with full-spectrum capabilities to deter conflict,respond to crisis, and fight and win againstany foe. A critical requirement is the abilityto project and sustain decisive military powerin forward areas where America’s interestsand those who would threaten them converge– more often than not, in the littorals of theworld. With our access to land bases uncer-tain, versatile, responsive, sea-based forcesare increasingly imperative for implementingU.S. strategy and policy. Our new global “insecurity” environmentfurther underscores the need for the MarineCorps and Navy to maintain the permanent,sea-based, forward presence inherent inmodern, ready, combat-credible forces. Theseforces must be capable of forcible-entryoperations against determined adversaries,while simultaneously standing ready torespond to emergencies at home. TheMarines are the landward extension of thenation’s sea-based naval expeditionary forces- fully capable of broad-spectrum power-projection that remains influential in peace-time, compelling in crisis, and decisive inwar. The Marine Corps’ primary mission is to provide integrated ground, aviation, command-and-control, and logistical combatforces for service as part of a larger naval orjoint task force. Two characteristics in par-ticular – expeditionary maneuver warfareand combined arms – are key. In additionto high combat readiness, flexibility, andglobal reach, these distinctive hallmarks makethe Marine Corps a preferred choice of thePresident and his commanders for early crisis response.EXPEDITIONARYMANEUVER WARFAREOur response to the evolving nature ofwarfare in the 21st century is embodied in the capstone concept of ExpeditionaryManeuver Warfare (EMW), which empha-sizes maneuvering proactively in time andspace as a means of elevating operational art



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beyond the traditional methods of attritionwarfare. It calls for combining high-tempooperations and surprise with a bias for actionto achieve operational advantage – physical,temporal, and conditional – over an enemy.The aim is to defeat the enemy by shatteringhis cohesion and to prevail by rapidlyresponding to events, if not anticipatingthem before they occur. ExpeditionaryManeuver Warfare is the fundamental mind-set that permeates the entire Marine Corps.For the Marine Corps and Navy, “expedi-tionary” means that forces are positionedwhere they can quickly respond when neededand can be immediately employed uponarrival in the zone of operations. It alsomeans having a sufficient degree of organicsustainment available so that the naval forcecan both initiate operations and maintainthem until follow-on forces can respond.Indeed, the Marine Corps’ unique command,control, communications, intelligence, andlogistics capabilities allow us to operate independently of an in-theater, land-basedinfrastructure. Likewise, our close partnership with theNavy provides additional sea-based combatpower, as well as significant logistics support,which reduces the requirement for increasingly scarce strategic-lift assets forsustaining early-entry forces. This meansthat the Marine Corps and Navy can respondimmediately to a crisis while giving the jointor combined force commander time todevelop the theater of operations more fully.Our naval character, self-sufficiency, andmobile presence is further enhanced by oursituational and cultural awareness of potentialoperating areas worldwide. This elevatedstrategic awareness enables Marines to workwith friends and allies throughout eachregion and to facilitate joint, coalition, andinteragency coordination from the outset.The process of building effective expeditionary capabilities is complex anddemanding. It requires a thorough-going,deep-seated warrior ethos that remainsfocused on accomplishing the missiondespite convoluted, austere, and often hostile operating environments. TheMarines have learned to expect little supportbeyond what they can bring themselves. Thisrugged posture of minimal dependencybecomes second nature and is a matter ofpride. The result is a fighting force capableof operating for sustained periods in remotecorners of the world, with a minimum oflogistical “overhead.”As integral components of a larger naval or joint force, Marines are particularlywell prepared to use the sea as a maneuverspace and as a secure “base” from which toinfluence events on land. In enabling jointforces to move directly from the sea to 4
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5objectives inland, sea basing supports theflexible projection of military power andfacilitates a significant advance beyond traditional amphibious operations. Sea basing and expeditionary maneuver employmovement of forces, command/control, airsupport, naval fires, and logistics to enablethe deployment and use of joint forces in thelittoral and to tailor the projection of powerto the needs at hand. The Marine Corps’recent Afghan experience in support ofOperation Enduring Freedom convincinglydemonstrated the potential of using the sea as both a base and a natural venue foroperational maneuver.COMBINED-ARMS CONCEPTThe Marine Corps has a long-standing,battle-proven commitment to combined-arms operations. These operations combineand closely integrate air, ground, and sup-port units into a synergistic whole that is sig-nificantly more powerful than the sum of itsparts. On a daily basis we train, exercise, anddeploy as fully integrated combined-armsteams – including infantry, artillery, armor,tactical aviation, and logistics. MAGTFs areequipped and trained to provide forwardpresence, to respond to crises, and whennecessary, to fight and win, reaching frombases far at sea, through the littoral, toobjectives deep inland. In addition, combined-arms MAGTFscan be scaled to meet challenges across thespectrum of conflict. Marine ExpeditionaryForces (MEFs) are task-organized to fightand win in large conflicts and conduct large-scale contingency operations. MarineExpeditionary Brigades (MEBs) – the smallestMAGTF able to conduct forcible-entryoperations – are also task-organized torespond to a full range of contingencies, butare optimized for mid-sized and smalleroperations. Marine Expeditionary Units(Special Operations Capable) [MEU(SOC)s]are task-organized to provide a forward-deployed, afloat presence and be the firstMarine Corps forces on the scene of mostcontingencies. Special Purpose MAGTFs(SPMAGTFs) are task-organized to accom-plish specific missions, including humani-tarian assistance, peacetime engagementactivities, and others. (A complete descriptionof the composition, capabilities, and types of MAGTFs can be found in Appendix A,“How the Marines Are Organized”).
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6Because of our organization, our culture,and our training in combined-arms andexpeditionary campaigns, Marines under-stand the need for logic and synergy in jointand multi-national operations within a “sin -gle battle” concept. The Marine commanderfights a unified action that unites and enhancesthe overall capabilities of the diverse unitsunder his command. This flexible andadaptable employment of combined arms at both the tactical and operational level ofwarfare is a unique capability that reflectsboth the Marine Corps’ history and its inno-vative approach to combat and expeditionarymaneuver. LESSONS FROM OPERATIONENDURING FREEDOMThe Marine Corps’ adaptability – and consequently the Corps’ value to thenation – was highlighted during OperationEnduring Freedom. Our accomplishmentsin the Afghan campaign and in related incidents elsewhere are both a measure of thecapabilities of today’s forces and a harbingerof things to come. The employment ofMarines and other sea-based forces to generate strategic strikes on al-Qaeda elements and their Taliban protectors in theearliest phase of the campaign was coordinatedwith U.S. Air Force and special operationsassets. Operating from sea bases – aircraftcarrier battle groups and Amphibious ReadyGroups – in the North Arabian Sea, 400 to 800 miles distant from targets on land,Marine Corps and Navy tactical aircraft flewmore than 12,000 sorties, nearly three-quarters of all Enduring Freedom tacticalsorties, through the spring of 2002.Marines from Task Force 58 penetrateddeep into land-locked Afghanistan fromamphibious ships operating in the northArabian Sea – a sea base hundreds of milesaway from critical objectives. The Marines’operations overcame distances far in excess
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7of those for which current doctrine and systemswere designed. They employed innovativecombinations of sea and intermediate staging bases to project combat power to the objective and rapidly reinforce it. TheMarines’ austere Forward Operating BaseRhino served as a springboard for follow-onjoint and combined force attacks that culmi-nated in the seizure of Kandahar Airfield. Once Marines had secured these forwar doutposts, they and other U.S. and Britishspecial forces were able to increase the scope of coalition operations throughoutAfghanistan, again with the assistance ofnaval and joint strike forces. New approachesto intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissanceand targeting were integrated directly intoground-force operations. Fully 80 percentof Marine Corps-Navy strike sorties attackedtargets that were relayed to the aircrews whileenroute from the sea base, an impressivedemonstration of our growing capability fornear real-time targeting and the de factoi n t e g ration of Naval Aviation. Using a plannedwarfighting approach, they relied on net-worked sensors and joint communications to respond swiftly to targets of opportunityidentified by troops on the ground. In manycases, the total time elapsed from initialalerting to weapons on target was measuredin minutes. The Marine Corps’ preparation formaneuver warfare and our deep-seated expeditionary mindset guaranteed early and effective use of these concepts in a newoperational setting. Although we operatedwith older equipment, experimentation andinnovation were the order of the day inAfghanistan. Innovation was critical to TaskForce 58’s success in Operation EnduringFreedom in 2001-2002, and it will beincreasingly prominent as the Marine Corps charts its course for the future.


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9that the Naval Services can deploy. More o v e r ,Naval Power 21 also acknowledges that, bythemselves, new platforms and systems “haveno ‘asset value’ to the nation until they aremanned by trained, educated, and motivatedpeople.”The Navy’s strategic vision, Sea Power 21,explains how that service, particularly in thejoint warfare context, will use “revolutionaryinformation superiority and dispersed, net-worked force capabilities to deliver unprece-dented offensive power, defensive assurance,and operational independence to joint forcecommanders.” Sea Power 21 focuses on theachievement of three required capabilities: Sea Strike – expanded power projectionthat employs networked sensors, combatsystems, and empowered warriors toamplify the offensive impact of sea-basedforces. Knowledge dominance will beconverted into action by a full array of SeaStrike options: next-generation missilescapable of in-flight targeting, aircraft withstand-off precision weapons, extended-range naval gunfire, information opera-tions, stealthy submarines, unmannedcombat vehicles, and Marines and SEALson the ground.Sea Shield – global defensive assuranceproduced by extended homeland defense,force protection against all threats, sus -tained access to littorals, and the projec-tion of defensive power deep over land.Sea Shield provides a layered globaldefensive power based on control of theseas, forward presence, and networkedintelligence.Sea Basing – enhanced operational independence and support for joint f o rc e sprovided by networked, mobile, and securesovereign platforms operating in the mar -itime domain. Sea-based operations willcapitalize on the maneuver space affordedby the sea, the flexibility that supports taskorganization through selective offloadcapabilities, rapid force closure throughat-sea arrival and assembly, and the pro-tection assured by the U.S. Navy’s controlof the sea. The concept will include pro-viding joint force commanders with globalcommand and control and extendingintegrated logistical support to other services. More than a family of platformsafloat, sea basing will network platformstogether and promote interoperabilityamong the Expeditionary Strike Group,the Maritime Prepositioning Force, theCombat Logistics Force, and emerginghigh-speed sealift and lighterage technologies. Sea Strike, Sea Shield, and Sea Basing areto be enabled by FORCEnet. FORCEnet is an overarching networking concept forintegrating warriors, sensors, communica-tions, command and control, platforms, and weapons into a fully interconnected,combat force. Linked by FORCEnet, SeaStrike, Sea Shield, and Sea Basing capabili-ties will be deployed in accordance with aGlobal Concept of Operations (GlobalCONOPS) that widely distributes the fire-power of the fleet, strengthens deterrence,improves crisis response, and positions us to win decisively in war.Marine Corps Strategy 21 articulates the Corps’ axis of advance into the 21st century,defines a Marine Corps tailored to answerthe nation’s call at home or abroad, andprovides the vision, goals, and aims that support the development of enhanced strategic agility, operational reach, tacticalflexibility, and warfighting effectiveness.Several objectives – of equal priority andimportance to the future – are explicit inMarine Corps Strategy 21:
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10> > To prepare our Marines – “America’sTotal Force in Readiness” – to win thenation’s battles, while creating cadre ofquality citizen-soldiers> > To optimize the Corps’ operatingforces, support and sustainment base,and unique capabilities to respond tothe complex spectrum of crises andconflicts> > To sustain the enduring Navy-MarineCorps relationship> > To reinforce the Marine Corps’ strategic partnership with the Army, Air Force, and U.S. Special OperationsCommand> > To contribute to the development ofjoint, allied, coalition, and interagencycapabilities> > To capitalize on innovation, experi-mentation, and technology to prepareMarine forces to succeed in the 21stcentury.To advance along this axis, the MarineCorps is implementing our ExpeditionaryManeuver Warfare capstone concept.Subsuming operational concepts such asOperational Maneuver From the Sea (OMFTS), Ship-to-Objective Maneuver (STOM), and SustainedOperations Ashore (SOA), as well as the emergingsea-basing paradigm, EMW is the overarchingconcept by which the Marine Corps willorganize, train, equip, deploy, employ, andsustain its forces. Expeditionary ManeuverWarfare will be an integral part of an overar-ching Global Concept of Operations.GLOBAL CONCEPT OF OPERATIONSOur Global CONOPS has been crafted to achieve the strategic and operationalobjectives implicit in all three of the navalstrategic vision documents. The GlobalCONOPS describes how the United Stateswill deploy widely-dispersed combat powerfrom diverse platforms with unprecedentedwarfighting capabilities in all domains. NavalVision 21 speaks of “…the need to reorganizethe fleet to provide a large number of strikegroups.” The Global CONOPS envisions thecreation of additional, independent opera-tional combat groups capable of respondingsimultaneously to crises around the world.The resulting increase in combat power will arise from technical advances that arenetting together the capabilities of our ships, submarines, and aircraft for dramaticincreases in power projection and totalwarfighting effect.The results will be profound. Specificforce packages will be readily assembled fromforward-deployed Marine Corps and Navyforces – tailored to meet the mission needsof the joint force commander, complement -ing other available joint assets, and sized tothe magnitude of the task at hand. As aresult, the Marine Corps and Navy will be able to respond more capably to moresimultaneous contingencies and conflict situations, over a broader warfighting continuum, compared to today’s organizingarchitecture. These new operational groupswill include:> > Carrier Strike Groups (CSG), whichwill provide the full range of integratedNavy and Marine tactical aviation capabilities > > Expeditionary Strike Groups (ESG),consisting of amphibious ready groups (ARGs) with their embarkedMarine Expeditionary Units (SpecialOperations Capable), augmented with strike-capable surface warships and submarines > > Missile-defense Surface Action Groups(SAG) will increase international stabilityby protecting allies and joint forces
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11ashore from the enemy’s long-rangestrike weapons> > Specially modified guided-missileTrident submarines (SSGN) will provide covert striking power withcruise missiles and the insertion ofSpecial Operations Forces > > A modern, enhanced-capabilityCombat Logistics Force will sustain thewidely dispersed seabase.For the Marine Corps-Navy team, theExpeditionary Strike Group will providecapabilities, far beyond those inherent intoday’s ARGs. As evolved from the currentARG/MEU(SOC), the ESG will add theoffensive and defensive capabilities of guided-missile cruisers and destroyers, and attacksubmarines. This will significantly increasethe power the ESG can project and will allowit to operate in higher-threat environmentswithout the support of a Carrier StrikeGroup, thus expanding the joint force commander’s employment options.The Global CONOPS will increase oursea based striking power from today’s 12 aircraft carrier battle groups, to perhaps asmany as 37 independent operational combatgroups (12 CSGs, 12 ESGs, and multiplemissile-defense SAGs and SSGNs). Thesegroups will operate throughout the world tocounter the entire spectrum of threats toU.S. interests, and when regional conflict is inevitable, they will join together, alongwith squadrons from the Maritime Preposi-tioning Force, to form Expeditionary StrikeForces (ESF) to enable or complement jointforces capabilities.


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12To remain ready to fight and win while atthe same time moving toward the goals ofour transformation program, we must extractmaximum advantage from the resources provided and demand a higher rate of returnon our investments. Our new organizations,concepts, systems and platforms are focusedon delivering a combat-capable Marine Corpsready to fight and win …anytime, anywhere. Making tomorrow’s vision a realitydepends on strengthening four pillars. First,we must assure our Marines and their families the highest Quality of Life commensurate with their commitment to theCorps and the nation. Second, shortfalls incurrent warfighting readiness requireupgrading and modernizing legacy systemsuntil they can be replaced. Third, we know that rationalizing and transformingour installations is essential to aligning ourinfrastructure to support forces, weaponsystems, doctrine, and tactics for the foreseeable future. Finally, transformation and moderniza-tion are of critical importance to our future.We are exploiting every opportunity toaccomplish these through an agile organization,experimentation, and the adaptation ofemerging technologies to ensure we maximizethe potential of individual Marines and theirunits. The operational changes described abovewill vastly improve the means by which ourforces project power and influence in thefuture. In a similar manner, leap-ahead technologywill create new opportunities for tomorrow’swarriors. And finally, changes in business andacquisition processes, will enable the fielding ofmore effective capabilities, while achievinggreater efficiencies in the use of nation’s fiscal resources.These are four important pillars, which allhave a special focus in the President’s FiscalYear 2004 budget.MARINES AND THEIR FAMILIESPeople have always been our greateststrength. Indeed, one of the Corps’ mostenduring contributions to the Americannation is the development of Marines whoembrace our service values and warrior culture, selflessly serve their country, andthen return to society as outstanding privatecitizens. Quality of Life (QoL) for our peo-ple and their families is therefore an essen-tial element of our readiness posture.Effective QoL programs and services arevital to maintaining the stability of the force,enhancing personal readiness and familycohesion, and fostering retention. We haveestablished five major QoL priorities: payand compensation, health care, bachelor andfamily housing, infrastructure and installa-tion management, and community services.LEGACY SYSTEMS…CURRENT READINESSUntil new, transformational systems arefielded, we must continue to ensure thereadiness of our current equipment. Acrossthe board, the Marine Corps must continuemaintaining and upgrading aging equipmenteven while leveraging new technologies toachieve transformed warfighting capabilities.We are taking maximum advantage of service-life extension programs (SLEP) for twoimportant elements of today’s MAGTF:Light Armored Vehicles (LAVs) and CH-53Eheavy-lift helicopters. These SLEP programswill improve their performance, reliability,and availability for the next decade or morewhile we explore new technologies. Forging Tomorrow’s Reality>
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13INFRASTRUCTUREWhile it seldom receives high visibility,infrastructure – bases, facilities, trainingareas, ranges, laboratories, buildings, hospi-tals, and the like – provides the essentialframework for ensuring force readiness athome and abroad. Thus, the impact ofencroachment on our training facilities and ranges is making it increasingly difficultto bring together the Marine Corps-Navyteam to train as it will fight. We need both to upgrade the areas in which we are nowtraining - particularly those for training in combined arms -and make additionalinvestments in wargaming and simulationtechnologies for joint and interoperabilitytraining. Another challenge is to find ways to support our Marines and Sailors with aninfrastructure that uses a smaller percentageof resources while maintaining force-widereadiness and acceptable QoL for ourMarines and their families. TRANSFORMING ANDMODERNIZINGThe Marine Corps is continually trans-forming and modernizing. Investments forthe future are being balanced with the needto sustain current readiness and operations,while simultaneously responding to emergingthreats and demanding forward deployments.Using a combination of highly-motivatedpeople; agile and adaptive organizations;experimentation with commercial-off-the-shelf and leap-ahead technologies; and continued refinement of business practices,transformational capabilities are steadilybeing realized. Meanwhile, a series of incre-mental and affordable modernization effortswill allow our current systems and equipmentto satisfy today’s increasingly daunting operational needs. Our traditional cultureof innovation will ensure that we continue to prevail in a changing and dynamic world.This culture nurtures the leadership, educa-tion, values, and attitudes that encourageand reward people willing to take informedrisks in reaching a more capable future. Thismindset has resulted in:Organizational Agility. Recognizing andadjusting organizational arrangementsexpeditiously to take full advantage of thetransformational capabilities of new technologies - and adopting new operationalconcepts - is a key aspect of the MarineCorps’ transformation. The MarineCorps has a history of anticipating andadapting to emerging threats and adver -saries, and that capability remains healthytoday. The Marine Corps will continue to examine its force structure and combatcapabilities in light of the transformationalconcepts and technologies of tomorrow.Our organizational processes will remainfocused on ensuring the swift and agiledeployment, employment, sustainment,reconstitution, and redeployment offorces.New Operational Concepts. The MarineCorps is combining its proven combinedarms organizations (MAGTFs) and decen-tralized, initiative-based philosophy of maneuver warfare, with several new systems and platforms based on new technologies. Within the framework ofour capstone concept, ExpeditionaryManeuver Warfare, the marriage of neworganizations and new technologies willyield capability enhancements significanttoday, tomorrow, and for decades into the future. Our future sea-based forceswill be optimized for forward-presenceoperations without depending on fixedbases and they will have the ability to conduct operations rapidly, deep withinoverseas territories where U.S. interestsare threatened.
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14Leap-Ahead Technology. Our innovationefforts are focused on keeping ahead ofconstant changes in an increasingly comp l e xnational security environment. In fact, as we invest in technologies and systems,the Corps has consistently viewed trans -formation as an evolutionary process, nota singular event. We are currently workingto adapt commercial off-the-shelf hardwareand develop leap-ahead technology. Ourscience and technology efforts focus onattaining dramatic increases in our futureforcible-entry and power-projectioncapabilities in anti-access environments.All technology and systems-developmentefforts will be closely coupled with thedevelopment of needed doctrine; tactics,techniques, and procedures; training and education; logistical support; andorganizational reconfiguration.Business and Acquisition Reform. We will optimize resource allocation atevery level of the Marine Corps and focus on business initiatives that can free resources for increased investment in critical warfighting capabilities. Ourtop priority is to ensure that all Marineshave the training and equipment theyneed to do their jobs. By focusing on coreoperational requirements we will continueto eliminate non-core functions, whilerefining business practices to achieve end-to-end capabilities more efficiently.We are refining our use of explicit metrics for cost control through activity-basedcost/management models to make fact-based decisions to improve our support to the operating forces.The Marine Corps has identified severalimportant objectives that are crucial to real -izing its vision of the future and which cutacross the four pillars. These include: > > Integrating tactical aviation capabilitiesacross the Navy and Marine Corps togenerate increased capabilities for projecting power from the sea> > Synchronizing transformation and balancing modernization of our groundand aviation assets to ensure an effectivecombined-arms warfighting capabilityfor the modern battlefield in ourMAGTFs> > Evaluating emerging concepts andthreats, while adapting and creatinginnovative combat units dedicated forspecial missions and tasks, such as thestand-up of the 4th MEB (AT) to support the global war on terrorism > > Enhancing the capabilities of Marineforces to operate with special operations


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15forces (SOF) as well as joint and coalition partners as was recently donethrough the USSOCOM/USMC MOUand the reestablishment of the Air NavalG u n f i re Liaison Company (ANGLICO) > > Leveraging technologies that allow us to more effectively share and expeditethe flow of useful information toincrease our situational awareness for increased effectiveness, flexibility,and responsiveness> > Generating opportunities to improvealignment between Marine CorpsReserve units and Marine ExpeditionaryForces and leverage the diverse civilian-acquired expertise of Individual ReadyReserve Marines to support specificshortfalls in day-to-day military capabilities> > Increasing the ability of the supportingestablishment to serve as the fifth ele-ment of the MAGTF, as exemplified bythe Marine Corps Intelligence Activity’sreach-back support to the warfightingrequirements of Task Force 58 duringOperation Enduring Freedom> > Enhancing leaders’ decision-makingskills to act with informed boldness andaudacity through focused investments in professional military education, war-gaming, combat simulation activities, andbattlespace visualization techniques with-i n a joint or multinational framework.Ensuring that these objectives are met andthat the operational capabilities needed areprovided is an ongoing process.KEY PROGRAMS ANDCHALLENGESDespite numerous challenges, the MarineCorps is on a course that will dramaticallyenhance strategic agility, operational reach,and tactical flexibility. Key programs for theMarine Corps’ future and cornerstones ofour readiness today include: MV-22. The MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotoraircraft remains the Marine Corps’ number-one aviation acquisition priority.The Marine Corps is acquiring the Ospreyto replace the CH-46E and CH-53D helicopters currently in the inventory.With the MV-22, Marine forces operating from the sea base will be able to takeadvantage of long-range maneuver andhave increased strategic agility, operationalreach, and tactical flexibility. JSF. The Short-Takeoff and VerticalLanding (STOVL) variant of the JointStrike Fighter (JSF) is a single engine,stealthy, supersonic, strike-fighter aircraftthat will combine the basing flexibility ofthe AV-8B Harrier II with the multi-rolecapabilities, speed, and maneuverability of the F/A-18 Hornet strike fighter to fulfill both air-to-ground and air-to-airrequirements. Under current plans, the first deployable Marine Corps JSFsquadron will reach initial operationalcapability (IOC) in 2010. Fielding of theSTOVL JSF is extremely important to fullrealization of Navy-Marine Corps TacAirIntegration and enhancing the capabilitiesof ESGs as part of Global CONOPS.KC-130J. The advanced Hercules intra-theater airlift aircraft brings increasedcapability and mission flexibility, with its advanced communications system, survivability enhancements, night systems,enhanced rapid ground refueling, andother improvements. The KC-130J vari-ant is the replacement aircraft for the fleetof 51 active Marine Corps KC-130F/Rs.AAAV. The Advanced Amphibious AssaultVehicle remains the Marine Corps’ number-one ground acquisition priority.
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16It will enable Marines to eliminate thecurrent battlefield mobility gap and, forthe first time, conduct high-speed deepmaneuver ashore in a single, seamlessstroke from over-the-horizon seabases.HIMARS. A joint Army-Marine Corpsprogram, the High Mobility ArtilleryRocket System will provide the MAGTFwith deep-strike, organic indirect firesupport. Capable of firing all rockets andmissiles in the current and future MultipleLaunch Rocket System (MLRS) family ofmunitions, HIMARs will provide capabili-ties to accurately engage targets at longrange with high volumes of fire in allweather conditions, 24-hours per day.HIMARS is capable of being airlifted byC-130 aircraft.LW-155. The Lightweight 155mm how-itzer is the world’s first 155mm-towedartillery howitzer with an air-tra n s p o r t a b l eweight of less than 9,800 pounds. Withit’s digital fire control, greater groundmobility and improved reaction times, theLW-155 provides increased operationalt h resholds in lethality, survivability, mobility,d e p l o yability, and sustainability requiredto support expeditionary maneuver warfare .Expeditionary Assault Shipping.Although the amphibious lift requirementremains 3.0 MEB assault-echelon equiva-lents (AE), we are fiscally constrained to 2.5 MEB AE. Moreover, currentactive-duty shipping falls short of the 2.5MEB AE target. Achieving 2.5 MEB AEdepends on programmed completion ofthe 12-ship LPD-17 San Antonio-class andtimely replacement of the Tarawa (LHA 1)class with the LHA(R). The LHA (R) isintended to fully exploit the enhancedcapabilities of MV-22, STOVL JSF, andupgraded LCAC as part of ESGs in GlobalCONOPS.MPF (Future). MPF(F) will be a pillar ofenhanced networked sea basing, providingthe combatant commanders with oper a-tional capabilities enabled by new andenhanced logistics that are interoperablewith expeditionary assault shipping. TheMPF(F) family of ships will have capabili-ties of at-sea arrival and assembly offorces, selective offload of force packages,enduring sustainment, and reconstitutionat sea. MPF(F) will increase the combatant commanders pre-positioned rapid rein-forcement capability by bringing addi -tional MEB combat power to support theExpeditionary Strike Force (ESF). TheDON is currently conducting an analysisof alternatives for MPF(F). Further, wecontinue to experiment with sea basetechnology, such as open-ocean cranes,automated on-board warehouse distribu-tion systems, and high-speed vessels tointegrate and link the sea base.Homeland Defense and Security. The 11September 2001 attacks re-emphasizedthe importance of homeland defense andwere the catalyst for our standing up the4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade to focusexplicitly on anti-terrorism and forceprotection (AT/FP). With some 4,600Marines and Sailors, the 4th MEB (AT)provides any commander with rapidlydeployable, specially trained, and sustainableforces that are capable of detecting terror-ist activities, providing deterrence to ter -rorist acts, defending designated facilitiesagainst terrorism, and conducting initialincident response in the event of a chemi-cal, biological, radiological, or nuclearterrorist attack, worldwide. While ourexpeditionary culture remains the center-piece of our warfighting capability, thisadded ability to deal effectively and quicklywith terrorist acts, at home as well as overseas, is a key contribution to the global war on terrorism.
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17The Marine Corps is building on currentcapabilities and embracing strategic and tactical innovation to transform itself tomeet the daunting conventional and asym-metric threats to U.S. security in the 21stcentury. We will continue to be the nation’sTotal Force in Readiness, fielding warriorswhose unique sea-based expeditionary andcombined-arms capabilities will be critical tosuccess in crisis and conflict in the world’slittorals, as well as far inland.The major challenges confronting theMarine Corps today center on organizing,training, and equipping forces to supportjoint force commanders, now and in thefuture. The modernization programs and thetransformational systems that we are pursuingare key to our ability to meet the nation’speacetime, crisis, and wartime requirements.We have put in place well-conceived pro-grams addressing the needs of our Marinesand their families, the requirement toenhance the current readiness of legacy sys -tems, the critical role infrastructure plays in present and future readiness, and the balance between modernization and trans-formation. The Marine Corps needs thecontinued support of the nation – theAdministration, the Congress, and, mostcritically, the American people – to ensurethat we can successfully navigate the coursewe have laid out. These issues, as well asmany other timely matters, are discussed in more detail in subsequent chapters ofConcepts & Programs.The Way Ahead>>


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If there's a topic mentioned in this article that isn't covered on this site somewhere, let me know. I'll take care of it.

Semper Fidelis,

Bones

[richgitz]

United States Marine Corps= America's 911.:yes: