Compass Points - Clues in the News
New developments call for new decisions.
Compass Points - Clues in the News
New developments call for new decisions.
August 13, 2024
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Each day brings clues in the news. Some of the clues are for the Marine Corps.
In one report, the Air Force announced it had sunk a ship.
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The Air Force in July tested a new ship-killing guided bomb to demonstrate the service’s growing ability to sink enemy vessels.
A B-2 Spirit bomber released the weapon, which the Air Force Research Laboratory calls QUICKSINK, against an empty cargo vessel in the Gulf of Mexico, AFRL said in a Thursday release.
-- Defense News
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In another report, the Army announced it was working on a hypersonic round for the venerable 155mm artillery.
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The United States Army has embarked on a step toward modernizing its anti-aircraft capabilities with the announcement of a new project to develop a 155mm hypersonic artillery system. Announced on July 8 through a government website, the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) outlined its plans to procure prototypes of the Multi-Domain Artillery Cannon (MDAC), envisioned as a highly mobile, self-propelled, wheeled artillery system designed to counter aerial and missile threats.
-- Army News
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And in a third news report, Ukraine ground units have invaded Russia.
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Regional Russian officials appear to be offering notably frank assessments of the ongoing Ukrainian incursion. Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov expressed concern on August 12 about "alarming" Ukrainian activity along the border with Belgorod Oblast.[23] Kursk Oblast Governor Alexei Smirnov claimed on August 12 that Ukrainian forces have seized 28 settlements in Kursk Oblast and that Ukrainian forces have advanced roughly 12 kilometers deep along a 40-kilometer-long front into Kursk Oblast.[24] ISW has observed claims and geolocated footage indicating that Ukrainian forces are operating in or near 29 settlements in Kursk Oblast as of August 11 and 40 settlements as of August 12. ISW has observed geolocated footage indicating that Ukrainian forces have recently operated up to 24 kilometers from the international border, and Smirnov's assessed width of the frontline appears to cohere with the area where the majority of fighting is ongoing between Snagost and Plekhovo.
-- ISW
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Recent news bulletins report that
-- The Air Force sinks a ship.
-- The Army continues to upgrade the 155mm artillery.
-- Ukraine ground units advance into Russia.
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Items in the news leave clues for the Marine Corps.
If the Air Force can sink ships, if the Navy can sink ships, if even the Army can sink ships, why would the Marine Corps want to focus on new Marine units to sink ships?
If the Army is continuing to upgrade the 155mm artillery because it is so versatile and cost effective, why would the Marine Corps want to drastically reduce its own 155mm artillery?
Ukraine made unexpected progress against Russia not by cyber or drones alone, but by mechanized ground combat units. So why would the Marine Corps degrade so many of its own units, equipment, and capabilities for combined arms, ground combat?
The other lesson from Ukraine is Ukraine's sudden and expected success on the battlefield did not come from sitting on defense but came from taking a risk and taking the offense and using infantry to capture key territory.
Should the Marine Corps continue to focus on regional missile units on the defense on isolated islands? Or should the Marine Corps focus once again on upgrading, restoring, and enhancing the world’s best crisis response force, the global, expeditionary, combined arms Marine Air Ground Task Force? Compass Points salutes all those who continue to read the news and decipher the clues that will help the Marine Corps make course corrections and become strong today and stronger tomorrow.
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Defense News - 08/09/2024
Ship-killing guided bomb put to test as Air Force sinks cargo vessel
By Stephen Losey
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Army News Agency – 07/16/2024
US Army Initiates Development of 155mm Anti-Aircraft Artillery System.
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ISW - 08/12/2024
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 12, 2024
By Christina Harward, Angelica Evans, Nicole Wolkov, Davit Gasparyan, Grace Mappes, and Frederick W. Kagan
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-12-2024
One need only look at the Ukrainian incursion into Russia. Not just any spot but into the Kursk region. Recall that one of the greatest armor battles among other major fights of WWII, occurred in the Kursk region. One of the proponents of maneuver warfare was German General “hurrying” Heinz Guderian, who for many reasons was opposed to the German General Staff and Hitler’s plan to attack soviet forces in the Kursk region. Volumes have been written, but all told Guderian would be proved correct on his concerns over the operation. Thus one wonders if the Ukrainians planned the attack (it might even be considered a large scale raid) knowing that it held as much or more historical and political consequence than simply running over the border in a limited advanced that likely once momentum was slowed would be difficult to exploit for further military gains.
How does this apply? Marines are capable of raids at all levels in the MEU perhaps beyond that, but it requires the maneuver mindset to pick and choose the right time and place to execute the raid. If the SIF is stranded on the grey island chains or elsewhere it seems pretty hard to imagine them conducting any high speed raids. In fact they might be more concerned that they fall victim to a raid on their positions. Raids make all
manner of mischief, however one looks at fhe success or not of the Makin Island Raid, it proves the point that sometimes there is value in a raid beyond the immediate military objectives. The MAGTF is a factory of creativity, task organized for many roles and missions. It has been said here before that when people see an ARG/MEU coming over the horizon and they are bad actors they get nervous very quickly. Full on assault? Raids? Other operations? A fully complemented MEU ought to scare the bad actors. Marines in a MLR stranded on island chains doesn’t do much to support any of the current conflicts that we see today. Lessons abound in the current conflicts yet none are germain to FD whatever, the SIF and MLR. Combined arms coupled with imaginative maneuver concepts of operations ought to be obvious to senior “Managment” but clearly more prodding in this regard is needed.
History once again serves as a reminder. Maj Gen O. P. Smith, CG 1st MarDiv, in 1950 had trouble getting the 10th Corps CG, Maj. Gen. Alford, USA, to understand that a Marine Division with supporting combined arms is a very powerful military force. Stringing the Division out along 160 miles of narrow mountain roads significantly diminished that power. Todays leaders need to understand the same lesson. Stringing infantry Marines along littoral coasts diminishes the military power expected of the Marine Corps. Marine infantry supported by Marine combined arms such as that whish the MAGTF structure provides must become the Marine Corps organizational emphasis as an urgent national security imperative.