"Marines Will Help Fight Submarines" Topic

"A fleet is more than a collection of ships, and a campaign is more than a single event. With the reemergence of great power competition, naval forces must clearly articulate what naval campaigning means today. How we develop, sequence, execute, and sustain naval operations over time will determine our ability to control the seas or deny their use to our enemies, to project power, and to secure the sea lines of communication in times of crisis.

Naval campaign planning must include not only the Navy's warfare communities, but also the Marine Corps'. Nearly two years ago, my predecessor, former Commandant General Robert Neller, drew applause at the 2019 Naval Institute/AFCEA WEST Conference when he said, "We're going to have to fight to get to the fight," and, "I think we're going to need more submarines" in a fight against a peer adversary. While those were bold statements from a Marine general, I am ready to take that line of thinking even further. The undersea fight will be so critical in the High North and in the western Pacific that the Marine Corps must be part of it…"
Main page
link

Amicalement
Armand

I read this article last night myself and almost posted it here. Between this and the dropping of tanks I'm starting to have some real doubts about this Marine Corps commandant. It's like he's trolling to see how much he can undermine Marine Corps capabilities before someone stops him. I agree that the Navy has let ASW capabilities slip, but giving the Marines an ASW direct role seems like a major distraction from their role as effective ground forces.

TGerritsen,
You have a point. However, the Marines have been in an 100 year struggle to keep themselves relevant, funded and with a mission that does not compete with the Army. Tanks are expensive and will get even more expensive. Strategically, holding shipping choke points is a mission that is needed and the Marines can provide. It's something like the WWII Defense Battalions.

This should keep the Navy out of the area and not vulnerable to a first strike by China which could be devastating on a fleet. The more missions they can get the more money they'll receive. As Commandant that's a big concern.

The Marines are not really set up logistically for an extnded land engagment, that's the Army's job and they should be able to do it better than the Marines. Personally, the way we've been "fighting" since Korea is not an ideal way to engage the enemy as we can't use our firepower advantage for a number of reasons. That forces us into walking into ambushes, getting blown up by IED's and running into a room to get shot by a room full of bad guys, all of which my son and countless others had to do.

Regarding tanks, check out the latest videos from the mid-east, I would not want to be a tanker today no matter what tank I'd crew.

Wolfhag