How does the Missile Marine Corps help win the sea battle? I don't get it. The Commandant is all about influencing the fight at sea but to strip away the ground force gives us what exactly?
Before you answer that (or attempt to) consider the reality. 20 years ago the Chinese Navy could be considered a coastal force. Firing missiles from shore would have made sense considering the Chinese order of battle.
Today?
Today the Chinese Navy is mirroring the US Navy and developing a true blue water capable force. In other words they're gonna wanna take the battle out to deep water, away from the coast and go face to face with the USN.
But ignore that.
What does the Missile Marine Corps bring to the table?
In my opinion another flawed concept that does not measure up to even BASIC thought. If you get outside the fairy tale of the war games (that are obviously constructed to get a desired result...nothing else makes sense) then the math is simple.
The latest Burke Class Destroyer has almost 100 vertical launch cells. Dedicate 5 of those ships to nothing but sea control/anti-ship mission and you have an OVERWHELMING amount of fire coming that will overwhelm most battle fleets by itself.
The US has a almost 100 of these ships.
Dedicate just 20 to the anti-ship mission, fill their cells with Tomahawk missiles and position them in Pacific and you have 2000 missiles aimed at Chinese ships.
Operate in a distributed manner....independent ship ops....and you have a Navy solution to a Navy problem.
The Missile Marine Corps doesn't have to go thru fits and starts and we have this monster back in its cage.
But if this proposal is too outlandish then how does the Missile Marine Corps ACTUALLY become a credible threat to the Chinese?
Firing from the shore?
Packets of 10 to 20 missiles (at best) that will probably be defeated by enhanced Chinese anti-missile defense, improved ISR assets to locate them before launch and a vigorous diplomatic effort to deny us access to land we need to launch them from?
Long story short?
This concept is still born. I can't see the Missile Marines buying that many missiles. I can't see how they would be able to deploy them if they were bought. I can't see how they would be able to get enough vehicles to effectively launch enough missiles to overwhelm enemy defenses.
THERE IS A REASON WHY BERGER IS MOVING WITH SPEED ON THIS CONCEPT.
The only way this works is if we're established in countries that fear a Chinese attack. The only one in the region that would be willing to allow US Missile Marines on their soil in a defensive situation (in my opinion) is the Japanese (I don't count the Australians ... they're too far away). The S. Koreans are fairly neutral in their dealing with China. The Philippines are all over the map. Indonesia and Vietnam are too and only get sideways over disputes over islands, fishing rights and oil/gas rights...all of which can be settled enough to keep them in the neutral camp.
Extending this out?
It doesn't work in another region of the world. The Missile Marine Concept only works in the Pacific.
I know its a new Marine Corps but does "every clime and place" still apply or not?
The Missile Marine Corps is a one trick pony that arrived about 20 years too late. It would have worked against a coastal Chinese Navy but they're blue water now and its useless against that.
