24 septembre 2018 | International, Naval
By: David B. Larter
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Marine Corps is facing the same issue as the rest of the armed forces: figuring out how to fight inside the envelope of Chinese long-range missiles in what is known as the anti-access, area denial environment of the South and East China seas.
As the Navy and Marine Corps seek to protect sea lanes, allies and U.S. interests, their solution to their shared problem is to spread out, cause chaos and put strain on China's ability to target U.S. forces and sustain operations on multiple fronts.
Defense News caught up with retired Marine Lt. Col. Dakota Wood, now an analyst with The Heritage Foundation, to see how the Corps is tackling the issue.
As the Marines confront the challenge of fighting in the Pacific again, what are the top priorities for modernization?
There are two parts to that. What are their priorities? Well the amphibious combat vehicle, unmanned capabilities overall and completing fielding of the F-35B. So that's the easy stuff: air, ground and unmanned. They are pursuing upgrades for infantrymen — rifles, optics and communications — but that is always ongoing.
What I think is more interesting is how do those relate to the unfolding vision of what future Marine Corps should be. I don't think we've figured that out yet.
Just as in World War II, the Navy and Marine Corps are uniquely set up for operations in the Pacific theater, but you have to get close to fight. What progress are the Marine Corps and Navy making in solving that problem?
The chief of naval operations has specifically stated the dependency the Navy has on the Marine Corps to create those opportunities. The question is: How do you disrupt the enemy's posture, present multiple dilemmas to the enemy?
A Marine landing force on an island or feature has to present a problem to the enemy that is credible — anti-ship cruise missiles, short-range air defense, a sensor node contributing to the air or surface picture. It has to be able to thin out the enemy's fire power, sensor grid and attention span to give the Navy the chance to get inside the envelope, close and have an impact.
So how does the Marine Corps get there?
It has huge implications for organizational design to get these smaller units where they need to be in a distributed environment. So it's about connectors and how do you resupply those forces. Unmanned systems? Are amphibious combat vehicles relevant in that environment?
It has an impact on ships as well. So far, the Navy has been building big ships. And in this budget environment, will they be able to build enough to support that kind of operation? How do you distribute a force to pose a dilemma for your adversary? There is a gap between current modernization efforts and what needs to be there.
What's the answer?
To get where you need to be requires extensive experimentation and trying new things. That's the critical shortfall for the Navy and the Marine Corps.
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Central European defence companies are negotiating new deals to sell more weapons, military equipment and related services in Africa as they seek to poach customers looking for alternatives to Russia, companies and government officials say.
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RESPONSES DUE BY JULY 2ND AT 4 PM EASTERN PLEASE NOTE THE SHORT DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS TO THE BELOW The TCS and the Defence Trade Commissioner at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC, would like to make you, your clients, and your contacts aware of a broad call by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for prototype and mature technology related to 10 different topic areas, all aimed at improving the efficacy of first responders (police, fire, emergency medical technicians, etc.) All information can be found in the attachments here: https://sam.gov/opp/ccbc46b2d28241bab3eedea6dc7932d3/view Before making a submission, the TCS encourages firms to speak with DHS to have their questions answered and ensure their submission covers the appropriate information. Once a submission is made, DHS can no longer speak with potential applicants. Companies can contact Trade Commissioner Bobby Tate for an introduction to DHS if needed – Robert.tate@international.gc.ca Applicants will also need to register on the DHS's portal - https://baa2.st.dhs.gov/ DHS is targeting technologies at either TRL 3-4 or TRL 5-6, with the goal of raising them to TRL 7+ through this program. Initial submissions are in the form of a white paper, maximum of 10 single-sided pages. These will be rated within 30 days, and those of interest to DHS will be asked to make a more detailed full proposal. The 10 topic areas are listed here for easy reference, but companies should check the above SAM.gov site for full information: 1. Updated Law Enforcement Duty Uniform 2. Low Profile Riot Protection Gear 3. Riot Protection Helmet 4. Less-Lethal Chemical Irritant (CI) For Crowd Control 5. Less-Lethal Options for Crowd Environments 6. Tracking Criminal Actors in Large Crowds 7. Multi-spectrum Laser Detection 8. Multi-spectrum Laser Eyewear Protection 9. Rapidly Deployed Physical Barriers for Area Denial 10. Threat Characterization and Research and Development Solutions General questions on working with DHS should be referred to Trade Commissioner Bobby Tate at the above email address. TCS colleagues, please link referrals to opportunity # 1-1NL3E1 for tracking. Bobby Tate Trade Commissioner, Defence and Aerospace | Délégué commercial, défense et aérospatiale Robert.Tate@international.gc.ca Telephone | Téléphone (202) 682-7744 Facsimile | Télécopieur (202) 682-7618 Embassy of Canada 501 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20001 Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada