Marine Corps general says future units lighter, smaller

[thedrifter]

Marine Corps general says future units lighter, smaller

(Camp Lejeune, NC-AP) August 1, 2006 - Marines of the future will operate in smaller groups, with the ability to work better behind enemy lines.

That's according to Camp Lejeune's departing commander. Lieutenant General Jim Amos says the standard Marine will be trained at a higher level. The units of five or six people will be more flexible. And with quieter aircraft, they will be able to work in enemy territory.

Amos says Marines could also get new protective gear. The body armor would be 90 percent lighter but would protect soldiers from the neck down.

Those improvements come as the military combats smaller, militant forces.

Amos says the first advanced battalion could be deployed within the next year. That group is being trained in California.

Posted 8:54pm by Chantelle Janelle

Ellie

[thedrifter]

August 02, 2006

Amos: Smaller, quieter, more flexible deployments

By Estes Thompson
Associated Press

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Marines deployed in the future will operate in smaller and more flexible units that can get behind enemy lines with the new, quieter Osprey aircraft, the departing commander of troops based at Camp Lejeune said Tuesday.

“These are standard Marines trained to a higher degree and more lethal,” Lt. Gen. Jim Amos said during an interview at the military base.

He said a battalion in California is being trained in the new tactics, called “distributed operations,” and some may be deployed within a year. The tactics were learned in Iraq.

Marines in a unit of five or six can be inserted behind the enemy with ultra-quiet Osprey aircraft that fly like airplanes and hover like helicopters, the general said. They would carry lightweight equipment on their backs or use a small all-terrain vehicle. They also would be equipped with digital communications and the latest available weapons.

The Marines could fly in unheard and unseen, gathering information from local residents or by intercepting enemy communication, Amos said.

“They’ll also be very, very lethal,” he added.

Amos, who has commanded the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force for two years, said analysts have predicted that U.S. forces will face smaller and more diverse forces for the next 10 to 15 years. He said those forces will likely be driven by ideology and religion rather than state-sponsored.


“The way you defeat them is not by some sort of massive frontal assault,” Amos said. “You defeat them by being all around them. It becomes chaotic for them.”

Improvements will be made in protective gear for Marines and other American troops, especially with body armor that is up to 90 percent lighter and will protect shoulders, necks, legs and the lower torso from shrapnel, Amos said.

“Now, we can lighten the load for Marines,” he said. “I think it’s going to be very lightweight, it’s going to be very flexible.”

Amos will soon leave his post to become deputy commandant of the Marine Corps for combat development and integration at Quantico, Va. Amos will be replaced by Maj. Gen. Keith Stalder as commander of about 50,000 troops at Camp Lejeune and other bases.

Stalder will be promoted to lieutenant general Wednesday.

Ellie

[yellowwing]

Didn't they already try Squads with only two 5 man fire teams?