The drone problem just indicates that ground forces were foolish to depend on air forces to protect them...embedded anti-air is essential!

🤯🤯The aerial anti-tank hovering missiles tech suggests that the #Tanks will be obsolete in the future!

Check it out! pic.twitter.com/8dC49U7dnw

— Dr. Ali BAKIR (علي باكير) (@AliBakeer) June 20, 2021

Air Forces have sold ground forces a lie. Unfortunately ground forces ate up that lie like a kid chomping on candy on Halloween.

Why?  I don't know.

But the reality is that the drone threat is simply anti-tank missiles taken vertically.  Its a furtherance of the anti-tank helicopter.  Same issue just smaller and a bit more difficult to detect.

Additionally anti-air has been allowed to stagnate since a bit after WW2 and ground forces are playing catch up.

The supremacy of these cheap drones will have a shelf life of less than 10 years.  I hope leadership is planning accordingly...both to solve the issue of them and to move on to the next "hot" thing once this issue is cracked.

2/2 @ Fuji Viper 21.4...claims to be able to execute missions world wide.

U.S. Marines with 2d Battalion, 2d Marines, conduct a live-fire range during Fuji Viper 21.4 at Combined Arms Training Center, Camp Fuji, Japan, June 14, 2021. During this exercise Marines sharpened critical combined arms skills, ensuring they are ready and capable to execute a wide range of missions anywhere in the world. 2/2 is forward-deployed in the Indo-Pacific under 4th Marines, 3d Marine Division. 

Able to conduct worldwide missions?  Not for much longer.  Not for much longer.

I've followed this exercise.  What combined arms missions did they train for?  The MAGTF is dead.  The Missile Marines replaced that.  Marine Infantry is just perimeter security for HIMARS/Rogue Fires.

US Navy Sailors conduct a simulated mass casualty drill in response to a helicopter raid training exercise...at least they're training to get hit hard...

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class West Mitchell, a corpsman with 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit converses with a fellow sailor prior to conducting a mass casualty drill to assess skills and coordination between integrated units aboard the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) in the Philippine Sea, June 18, 2021. Marines with Battalion Landing Team 3/5, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), carried out a helicopter raid training exercise, where they sustained notional causalities who were then transported to USS America for treatment. The 31st MEU is operating aboard ships of the America Ready Group in the 7th fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

I'm glad they're practicing this.

What I can't figure is how they expect to get these Missile Marines out if they get hit hard.

Remember the pacing threat is the Chinese.

So if they conduct a helo-raid against a Chinese held possession and get hit so hard that it turns into a mass casualty event then you can bet that means aircraft are down, anti-air defenses are up and judging by the looks the Chinese are doing things you're gonna have a highly mobile mech force roaming around picking off anyone that didn't get nailed in the first assault.

I'm also assuming that prep work was done before hand (or maybe not...this concept has so many holes that it looks like they're making it up as they go) so confidence was there that they could pull it off...meaning that additional assets weren't called in to assist.

So aircraft are down.

A mass casualty event is in effect.

We can assume Marines are dead and we can assume that survivors are penned down.

Ya know what this looks like to my minds eye?  A modern day Mayaguez Incident on steroids...

Polish Forces @ Slovak Shield 21

Same Snakes, Different Day (but make no mistake its a new Missile Marine Corps!)

A U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, conducts routine flight operations over the coast of San Diego, California, June 16, 2021. In order to remain America's Force in Readiness (SNAFU! Note. Force in Readiness to COMPETE, not FIGHT & WIN!), the Marine Corps must continue to adapt and reinforce flight tactics as the Marine Corps shifts its focus on transitioning to a smaller, more lethal force (SNAFU! Note. What a pathetic attempt at branding FD2030!) during Force Design 2030. 

Russian army to receive new artillery systems including 2S43 Malva and Flox 120mm mortar via Army Recognition

Note. I keep being told that the Russians wrote the playbook that the Marine Corps is following. Ok. But why are the Russians still meching up? Did we miss a chapter?

Story here

France's 7th Armored Brigade. doing work...

 

Mission of the day: the SGR-C provides information at night. The GAE-B seizes the combat village, breaches, reduces isolated resistance. Neutralizes the enemy counterattack.

Mission of this 3rd day of exercise in open ground for the #7eBB : SGR-C infiltrates, informs. GAE-B by helicopter, infiltrates, seizes the Vèze aerodrome and the Thoraise crossing point. Crossing on EFA, beginning of attrition fight until Valdahon.

The USMC once did shit like this.  Sadly no more.  All hail the new Corps, the Missile Marine Corps!

1/2 Air Assault Raid

 

2nd MEF getting a new building

 

From left to right: U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Obert Tellez, U.S. Navy Command Master Chief Christopher Rebana, U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Brian Beaudreault, Brig. Gen. Andrew Niebel, U.S. Navy Capt. Tres Meek III, Mr. David Marchiori, pose for a group picture after a ground breaking ceremony for the future II Marine Expeditionary Force Operations Center on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 14, 2021. The operations center will serve as the II MEF headquarters building and enable II MEF to sustain combat readiness and optimize warfighting capabilities.

If it's all about small dispersed units and if the Marine Corps is falling back under the Navy and being assigned to numbered Fleets then why do we even need a MEF?  Either the MEF or the MEB can go.  We might not need either of them and we definitely don't need both with this new construct.

Additionally the idea of maintaining Divisions under this construct is really a concept that should die too.

If China is the threat and the Marine Corps is focusing only on China then why bother with keeping the 2nd MARDIV around.  We're not gonna participate in Europe, the Middle East or North Africa...which brings me to the various commands/components.

Why is MARFOREUR/AF still around?  Seems like a place that has serious cost savings to be harvested.  Why does SPMAGTF-CR-AF still exist? And this is the one's off the top of my head and there are many more.

Being a one trick pony has consequences.  Additionally why does the Marine Corps still have a seat on the Joint Chiefs.  Seems like this Commandant just conceptualized himself out of a job!

The Marine Corps is now trying to advertise its Missile Marines as a rapid deployment force...because they can compete with China, not fight and win but compete...

I could make this shit up if I tried. Check out this caption.... 

U.S. Marines with 3d Battalion, 12th Marines, 3d Marine Division, in conjunction with the U.S. Air Force 353d Special Operations Group, execute a High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System Rapid Insertion event within the first island chain in response to destabilizing actions which threaten the rules-based international order. The Marines are part of a joint force able to communicate and operate across all domains when called upon. III MEF executed this as part of a no-notice, integrated, rapid response event across the expanse of the first island chain to demonstrate U.S. resolve to maintaining regional security and stability.