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Specialization is for insects...or the United States Missile Marine Corps!
We need a reformer. We need a leader that can put the Marine Corps back on track without any other interest except leading the nation's fiercest fighters. We need a new Commandant cause Berger is just as big a disappointment as Amos...only more consequential. At least Amos didn't kill tanks directly (his lust for the F-35 started this drama though...so maybe he's the other bastard in this drama!).
Back on task.
If the Missile Marines continue on this plan to specialize for a fight against China in the Pacific then it will be discarded when it becomes apparent that the fight isn't gonna happen there, but instead in Africa.
This Transformation that Berger is pushing is instead the death knell for the Marine Corps...even the missile marines.
via Military.com
If the Marine Corps were to move boot camp away from its fabled training bases, Kate Germano, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel who led Parris Island's female 4th Recruit Training Battalion, said leaders must explain their reasoning in full. Otherwise, she said she worries male Marines would blame women for the loss of tradition.
"There would be so much animus there, as if there isn't already enough," Germano said.
You called it female. No further comment from me on this story.
Note. Don't know who came up with the idea for this video but its brilliant. A futuristic, high tech IFV zooming around what looks like a US Army Mech Infantry unit? You can't help but compare it to the Bradley and the Brad comes up wanting. Nicely done.
Note. The pics are from DVID of an Expeditionary Airfield being constructed. Question to Commandant "I make friction" Berger. How the fuck are you gonna operate such a site without it being detected and bombed back into dust by the Chinese? An LZ that you limit the number of aircraft flying into...tucked tight into the jungle? Yeah I can see that. Landing F-35s to refuel and rearm? Dude put down the crack pipe! He seriously needs an intervention!
Thanks to Pegase for the pics...
They're building a solid Air Ground Task Force that is able to scale up and down the spectrum of combat, is mobile both tactically and strategically and can fight and win against heavy mech forces.
Want to see ground force procurement done right? Look at the Aussies and the French. Those two nations appear to have cracked the code.
The Missile Marines? A one trick pony with a VERY limited future. Side question. Since the Missile Marines have given up on amphibious assault does that mean that the US Army will also pick up that mission set? Have no fear. I'm beat right now but we'll look at that and try and figure out how the Army will realign the 25th ID and 2nd ID to perform that mission in the Pacific.
US Missile Marine aircraft aboard the Queen Elizabeth.
No one will say it but this is a MASSIVE embarrassment for the UK MOD.
Why?
Because this lays bare a few things. The Brits don't have the aircraft to fill the decks of their own carrier. The Marine Corps has moved beyond the idea of big deck amphibs and has labeled them as non-survivable in a future conflict. The number of F-35s in USMC service is gonna be cut and the same is happening to the Brits.
Last but not least it doesn't take a futurist to predict that the Brits probably won't volunteer for a fight with China. Talk about "out of area" operations and you have it with the Brits getting into that fight!
Long story short?
This whole thing is passe. From the future concept that is being laid out, to the ridiculousness of the Brits not even being able to put their own aircraft on their own ship, and finally to an interoperability thing that is finally being shown to have no clothes.
Whoever came up with this idea should be forced into retirement.
via Military.com
The ACV program is currently in low-rate initial production (LRIP), but the initial fielding will still occur in October instead of November or December, he added.
"It could have even been later than that and still be within what we refer to as the program baseline," Garner said. "We are actually in the second year of LRIP, so we are building vehicles now, and those vehicles will continue to be fielded."
The Marine Corps intends to field another unit in southern California in the January-February timeframe, he said.
"We have a stream of vehicles coming off the production line right now so ... we are going to continue fielding a unit about every two-to-three months," Garner said. "This is only the start; we are going to continue at a fairly regular rate from this point onward."
I'm sticking by my prediction.
The ACV will be canceled.
I give the following reasons.
1. Berger has already stated that the Marine Corps will not ask for another cent from Congress.
2. The focus of the Missile Marines will apparently be the Indo-Pacific and nowhere else. If that is true then the need for protected transport of Missile Marines no longer exists.
3. Berger has already stated that he will divest the Marine Corps of hardware to buy the stuff he needs for his twisted, jacked up and misguided transformation.
4. This fielding decision could be made now. No need to wait. We've been waiting on the ACV for an eternity.
Long story short?
It goes back to the issue with LAR. Just like LAR, AAV Bn is the walking dead. The reaction to the disbanding to tanks and cannons has so riled up certain members of the Marine Corps that won't speak out publicly (but will give hints to their discomfort in e-mails) that to make the announcement now (that the ACV has been canned) will result in a small rebellion.
Its just a matter of timing boys and girls.
I like this vehicle.
I like BAE.
But Berger doesn't and like an axe murderer he's chasing down his prey and this time its the ACV.