*Note. This is from a Chinese account so I don't know if this guy is trolling us or not but the laughing faces make me curious...
蓝军旅的M96A2SEP主战坦克和M04A“布雷建国”步兵战车🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/Cqff3GtxkP
— 【GYS社】鹰击远洋征深空🌕·祖国万岁！🇨🇳 (@DominicDavidGYS) February 3, 2021
Tentative Manual for Expeditionary Advance Base Operations: https://t.co/vwcEQN5J4Y pic.twitter.com/Ed9AX7ZQXg
— Travis Hord (@MAGTravF) February 6, 2021
You want to learn more about the EABO from HQMC's viewpoint? Then follow this dude. Can't say I agree with what he's selling but at least he's talking about it (I lurk in the shadows!). Oh and he's a PT Beast so he can't be all bad.
Last night, a USMC official announced plans for a V-22 Next program, which is considering either extensive design changes or an all-new aircraft to dramatically improve or replace the 32-year-old tiltrotor. AWIN subscribers:https://t.co/jZB4ntQNE3
— Steve Trimble (@TheDEWLine) February 5, 2021
Wow.
This is so obvious. The USMC is looking at the V-280 and trying to make an end run to the future medium lift variant. I'm betting they're looking at bigger engines and the tilt mechanism from the V-280 and will be happy as hell.
I wonder if its as simple to do as it is to say. Regardless Bell just got a HUGE boost with this announcement. Of course the 800 pound wrecking ball in the room is the budget. Where will Berger get the money? If this becomes priority then you can bet that even more of the ground force will be sacrificed on the altar of "naval integration".
Aviation is now supreme. Everything else has died to support it. The F-35/MV-22/CH-53K all killed the Marine Corps as we know it.
We're now onto Marine Corps 2.0. I just wish they'd dump the name while they're rebranding making everything else. Missile/Aviation Marines has a nice ring for the new breed.
Very good shot of Merkava Mk 4 M MBTs turret roof.#IDF #Merkava #MBT pic.twitter.com/7WfMs3YJML
— The Dead District (@TheDeadDistrict) February 5, 2021
Just plain wow. I follow many senior officers in the USMC and I get the basics of the concept from a gawd damn Lt. The article is in Proceedings and you can read it all here. A preview...
In the early morning hours of a temperate January day, a contingent of 1,723 U.S. Marines defended an expeditionary advanced base on a small tropical island from an impending enemy amphibious assault. The Marines reacted quickly, having used airborne reconnaissance in the preceding days to build situational awareness of the enemy’s disposition.1 As the sun rose, the enemy was thrown back into the sea, and the base continued to provide support to the fleet. Thanks to investments in both time and money to innovate their force design, force structure, posture, and capabilities to support the advanced base mission, the Marines were able to successfully defend the island.
This is not a depiction of the Marine force of the future as outlined in the Commandant’s Force Design 2030, but an experiment conducted on Culebra Island off Puerto Rico more than a century ago—the culmination of much thought, debate, and conclusions about the concept of the advanced base force.2 This historical example has increased relevance today, as Commandant of the Marine Corps General David H. Berger has challenged the service to make sweeping changes not unlike those made by the Corps at the turn of the 20th century. It also is an example of how leadership can foster innovation and change to meet emerging threats.
Make sure you read the article.
What has me spinning? In the 1940's the USMC basically abandoned the Defense Battalion construct .
Why?
Because the Japanese made mush of it. We saw a valiant but failed attempt at Guadalcanal (which was the impetus behind the future MAGTF) to hold the line but history is history. Additionally we saw the concept in reverse during our push across the Pacific. Japanese Soldiers and Marines tried desperately to implement a version of this concept but they were either bypassed, ground down or both.
Make no mistake about it. This article is a full throated defense of the Commandant's plan but while retelling history I think the 1stLT left out some major facts that need to be part of the debate.
