Summarizes what I have been stressing lately, putting weak to strong, or fighting where the PRC holds most of the advantage. A global cordon, like what has been implicit policy since World War II, a cordon of alliances and logistic support backed by the carriers, fighter-bombers, marines, and airborne to respond with superior strength to challenges to the integrity of global national interests.
Standard missiles regiments or battalions could and should be added to Marine Corps assets, but as a globally deployable force, not in defenseless large slow targets that are certain to be captured or destroyed. More important than the missiles would be a couple regiments of airmobile armored recce with strong engineer and artillery forces within the MAGTF mix. The ability to deploy 25/35t 60mmL60 smoothbore tanks with a stern VLS for SAM's, ATGW, and LOSAT/CKEM's from Herc's or successors would give a strike anywhere with superior effective strength advantage that would give bad actors a lot more to worry about than a few bombs dropped on some hapless neighbors across the city. Back fill with Marine infantry, or just leave when the mission has been completed.
This sounds much like the British defense at Rorkes drift Jan 1879 in South Africa. Innovation will often triumph over stodgy thinking. There are numerous Chinese targets in the Pacific area along with those in Africa, Middle East and even the Arctic area. the MAGTF would be ideal for these type of operations, and even smaller units could be used depending on the target. After all, Marine units are or used to be designed for reinforcement if needed. I keep wondering if the HIMARS unit might be better than the NMESIS as it is in production and has a number of different missiles to use. Also wondering if any current Senior active duty Marines are actually reading any of this?
John, I think you are spot on regarding the HIMARS. It's battle-proven, longer-range, more rocket types, and in the inventory. The JLTV can even carry a 3 pack.
The Marine Corps was a unique force that it had what no other military force possessed. It was a world-wide, scalable, combined arms naval expeditionary force. We should use these strengths against PLA weaknesses. Why do we want to throw away such strength to be fritted away on small islands? FD has already eliminated the 3rd Division as a cohesive fighting force. The SIF and MLR will be hunted down and eliminated in detail. Let the Navy, Air Force, and Army engage the bulk of Chinese forces with their large missile assets. The Marine Corps with its unique capabilities along with the Navy ARGs, should be used on a global scale to attack Chinese holdings around the world. No other US force has this capability. In a possible future fight against China, we must not be confined to tunnel vision, and only see China in the first and second island chains. We must be like MacArthur, and have a larger view of the Chinese problem around the globe.
Summarizes what I have been stressing lately, putting weak to strong, or fighting where the PRC holds most of the advantage. A global cordon, like what has been implicit policy since World War II, a cordon of alliances and logistic support backed by the carriers, fighter-bombers, marines, and airborne to respond with superior strength to challenges to the integrity of global national interests.
Standard missiles regiments or battalions could and should be added to Marine Corps assets, but as a globally deployable force, not in defenseless large slow targets that are certain to be captured or destroyed. More important than the missiles would be a couple regiments of airmobile armored recce with strong engineer and artillery forces within the MAGTF mix. The ability to deploy 25/35t 60mmL60 smoothbore tanks with a stern VLS for SAM's, ATGW, and LOSAT/CKEM's from Herc's or successors would give a strike anywhere with superior effective strength advantage that would give bad actors a lot more to worry about than a few bombs dropped on some hapless neighbors across the city. Back fill with Marine infantry, or just leave when the mission has been completed.
Tom, I like it: airmobile mech strike! The German Wiesel is a good start or a modern British Scorpion/Scimitar.
This sounds much like the British defense at Rorkes drift Jan 1879 in South Africa. Innovation will often triumph over stodgy thinking. There are numerous Chinese targets in the Pacific area along with those in Africa, Middle East and even the Arctic area. the MAGTF would be ideal for these type of operations, and even smaller units could be used depending on the target. After all, Marine units are or used to be designed for reinforcement if needed. I keep wondering if the HIMARS unit might be better than the NMESIS as it is in production and has a number of different missiles to use. Also wondering if any current Senior active duty Marines are actually reading any of this?
John, I think you are spot on regarding the HIMARS. It's battle-proven, longer-range, more rocket types, and in the inventory. The JLTV can even carry a 3 pack.
The Marine Corps was a unique force that it had what no other military force possessed. It was a world-wide, scalable, combined arms naval expeditionary force. We should use these strengths against PLA weaknesses. Why do we want to throw away such strength to be fritted away on small islands? FD has already eliminated the 3rd Division as a cohesive fighting force. The SIF and MLR will be hunted down and eliminated in detail. Let the Navy, Air Force, and Army engage the bulk of Chinese forces with their large missile assets. The Marine Corps with its unique capabilities along with the Navy ARGs, should be used on a global scale to attack Chinese holdings around the world. No other US force has this capability. In a possible future fight against China, we must not be confined to tunnel vision, and only see China in the first and second island chains. We must be like MacArthur, and have a larger view of the Chinese problem around the globe.
Duffer’s back! You don’t always shoot the alligator closest to your leg first- a bigger one maybe lurking behind it.
Next up for nostalgia is Dunk’s Almanac