As previously mentioned the FRAG-01-2024 is bipolar at best, and leaves a taste of expensive consultants “helping” to craft some of the writing, in one’s mouth. Besides which, when the Hell did Marine Corps Officers start talking like politicians and bureaucrats? There should be zero ambiguity, “we will fight our country’s battles in the air, on land and sea.” Nowhere did it say, we stand and die on a lone outpost island chain based on an untested theory, that a bunch of propellers heads dreamed up in their free time. The CMC when it seems he is doing the talking is clear, as example, we want our ships and will work to that goal because without them there is no “crown jewel” aka, MEU, MEB, MEF. Why just 31 ships? Clearly it is an ongoing budget bun fight, but the Corps gave up a huge amount of manpower and assets based on a whisper of a promise, shouldn’t we at least get something in the trade? Has anyone looked at the Infantry Company TO of the SIF? It is ridiculously top heavy, master Sargent’s, gunny’s, staff Sargent’s doing Corporal and Sargent’s work. What an insult to our young developing NCO’s and Staff NCO’s. While we’re at it, if we get into a “peer” fight and WIA/KIA approach 40% where is the manpower coming to fill in the gaps, well of course the younger Marines and NCO’s will do it, as they always have, but what a failure to be realistic in this regard. While the 38th CMC was busy Divesting to Invest, 2/1 and 1/8/24th MEU, were on the ground holding and the HKIA airfield against all odds. As the participants such as the 1/8 Operations Officer Major Jordan Eddington opined “if we lost the airfield we would have all been killed” it had to dawn on the 38th CMC that the MEU was indeed the “Crown Jewel.” But, wait there is more behind door number 2, and no doubt, CP, will bring more in regard to the FRAGO in the next several days. As to the initial reviews, Murphy has weighed in, so we are all cheering up, things could be worse…..
Interesting article just came across on my evening "Early Bird" news feed.
"In recent years, the Corps has developed the littoral regiment as purpose-built for littoral combat, or fighting in the shallower reaches where land, islands and archipelagos meet ocean.
Bierman said that military partners and allies in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines are either copying elements of the littoral combat concept or were working toward these moves even as the Corps began developing it."
What in the world convinced these active duty generals that they possessed some insight that has eluded everyone else? The Chinese are not stupid and Marines propositioned on small islands within their zone of influence will be lost long before they will be a threat. The Corps has always been prescient and innovative, but this “force design” is wishful, untested nonsense. China has been in control of port facilities and maritime choke points for a long time with no realistic counter. This seems a more realistic concern for the Marine Corps. Semper
Somewhat off topic but related, is an article in April's USNI Proceedings, "Force Design is Still too Heavy". The article suggests that the logistics burden on the Marine infantry force is still too heavy. Rather than being a line-infantry force, the Marine Corps should be light infantry force. One of the examples used were the UK Chindits operating in Burma and their light footprint.
Forget FD ……go w Rapid Dragon “Rapid Dragon: the US military game-changer that could affect conventional and nuclear strategy and arms control negotiations
By George M. Moore | August 4, 2023
Airmen and riggers with the 1st Special Operations Squadron Logistics Readiness Squadron load a Rapid Dragon palletized weapon system aboard an MC-130J at Hurlburt Field, Florida in December 2021. (US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Brandon Esau.)Airmen and riggers with the 1st Special Operations Squadron Logistics Readiness Squadron load a Rapid Dragon palletized weapon system aboard an MC-130J at Hurlburt Field, Florida in December 2021. (US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Brandon Esau.)
Share
The United States Air Force recently announced the successful test of its Rapid Dragon system in a major Pacific exercise.[1] This followed an earlier successful test during an exercise in Norway in late 2022.[2]
The Air Force’s Research Laboratory says that “Rapid Dragon is a palletized munitions experimentation campaign exploring feasibility and operational advantages of airdropping long-range palletized munitions from existing airlift platforms, such as the C-130 and C-17, without aircraft modifications.”[3] In standard English, Rapid Dragon converts cargo aircraft into weapons carriers that can deploy cruise missiles (and potentially other standoff or self-defense weapons) by releasing them on pallets via the planes’ rear cargo ramps. Such a system makes a cargo aircraft into the equivalent of a bomber. Potentially the cargo aircrafts’ weapons load is limited only by how many pallets will fit in the cargo bay.
In US military circles, there has been discussion of the potential impacts Rapid Dragon can have on increasing the level of conventional threat that potential adversaries, particularly China, will have to deal with. But there has been little discussion about the implications of Rapid Dragon for future nuclear arms limitation talks, or what will happen to conventional “!
Marines are famous for making up humorous acronyms. I remember last century days before my TBS Class was to finally, end our merry band of brass bars were sitting in a school circle making up lists of somewhat humorous acronyms. Flash forward almost one half century and the USMC’s FD brain trust is still playing this game. Will Our SIF be caught inside or outside the WEZ? Will our tiny band of Marines and our even smaller number of short ranged missiles deter the enemy before we finish off our fresh caught crabs or feral pigs? In the meantime if we are lucky several gigantic typhoons may wipe out the PRC made islands and we can get back to Supremacy of the MEF and engaging in Offensive Maneuver Warfare From the Sea.
Defense News “Project Overmatch’s Small says EW is ‘killer app’ for unmanned tech
By Colin Demarest
Apr 11 at 09:37 AM
Members of Combined Task Force 152 operate a small boat near a MARTAC T-38 Devil Ray unmanned surface vessel in the Arabian Gulf.
Members of Combined Task Force 152 operate a small boat near a Martac T38 Devil Ray unmanned surface vessel in the Arabian Gulf. (NAVCENT Public Affairs/U.S. Navy)
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Unmanned technologies for years have been used to scout dangerous areas, schlep much-needed supplies and deliver destructive payloads.
But for one U.S. Navy commander, there’s another more-promising application.
“For unmanned systems, I think electronic warfare- and cyber-related mission areas are the ‘killer app,’ if you will,” Rear Adm. Doug Small said April 10 at the Sea-Air-Space defense conference here. “That is the growth imperative.”
Small is the leader of Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, what he calls the service’s “Geek Squad.” He’s also the head of Project Overmatch, which seeks to digitally link sailors, Marines and their vessels over vast distances. Little has been shared about the project since its inception in 2020, with officials attributing the secrecy to Russian and Chinese monitoring.
Outfitting unmanned vehicles or vessels with jammers, spoofers and other gear capable of wreaking electronic havoc is “absolutely critical,” according to Small. EW represents a battle over the electromagnetic spectrum, which militaries for decades have relied upon to communicate, identify friend from foe, and guide weapons to their targets.
Rear Adm. Doug Small, the U.S. Navy’s Project Overmatch boss, pauses before answering a question about unmanned technologies at the 2024 Sea-Air-Space conference in National Harbor, Maryland.”
Why waste DoD $ on SIF using 115 mile range missiles? Visit HI Sutton Covert Shores Overview Of Maritime Drones (USVs) Of The Russo-Ukrainian War for 2022-24
Sun 07 April 2024
By H I Sutton
UPDATED
CLICK to Enlarge.
Overview Of Maritime Drones (USVs) Of The Russo-Ukrainian War, 2022-24
Flag Russia Flag Ukraine Following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine swiftly developed a potent uncrewed naval force. Utilizing explosive-equipped uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), Ukraine has successfully inflicted significant damage on the Russian Navy. These pose such a formidable threat that the Russian fleet into a state of inactivity at port. This grants Ukraine a level of sea denial that was scarcely conceivable just a few years ago.
The cornerstone of this achievement, in my opinion, lies primarily in the implementation of uncrewed platforms. This has allowed operations which would not have been viable with crewed vessels. Uncrewed vessels can be smaller, and expendable.
Ukraine's uncrewed vessel revolution has in turn only been possible because of real-time two-way satellite communications. There have been uncrewed platforms before, but high bandwidth communications allows human-in-the-loop control. This enables faster deployment and rapid adaption to evolving targets and missions. Starlink serves as the primary provider of satellite communications, although Kymeta is also utilized. Automation will improve, likely making this human-in-loop command less necessary, but that is some way off.
We have also seen some development of semi-submerged or fully submerged versions. These fall under the UUV or AUV (uncrewed underwater vehicle, or autonomous underwater vehicle) category.
All current designs are characterized as being relatively small, much smaller than if humans had to be carried. This has many advantages.
There are, for sure, more types under development. This visualization only includes publicly revealed types.
As previously mentioned the FRAG-01-2024 is bipolar at best, and leaves a taste of expensive consultants “helping” to craft some of the writing, in one’s mouth. Besides which, when the Hell did Marine Corps Officers start talking like politicians and bureaucrats? There should be zero ambiguity, “we will fight our country’s battles in the air, on land and sea.” Nowhere did it say, we stand and die on a lone outpost island chain based on an untested theory, that a bunch of propellers heads dreamed up in their free time. The CMC when it seems he is doing the talking is clear, as example, we want our ships and will work to that goal because without them there is no “crown jewel” aka, MEU, MEB, MEF. Why just 31 ships? Clearly it is an ongoing budget bun fight, but the Corps gave up a huge amount of manpower and assets based on a whisper of a promise, shouldn’t we at least get something in the trade? Has anyone looked at the Infantry Company TO of the SIF? It is ridiculously top heavy, master Sargent’s, gunny’s, staff Sargent’s doing Corporal and Sargent’s work. What an insult to our young developing NCO’s and Staff NCO’s. While we’re at it, if we get into a “peer” fight and WIA/KIA approach 40% where is the manpower coming to fill in the gaps, well of course the younger Marines and NCO’s will do it, as they always have, but what a failure to be realistic in this regard. While the 38th CMC was busy Divesting to Invest, 2/1 and 1/8/24th MEU, were on the ground holding and the HKIA airfield against all odds. As the participants such as the 1/8 Operations Officer Major Jordan Eddington opined “if we lost the airfield we would have all been killed” it had to dawn on the 38th CMC that the MEU was indeed the “Crown Jewel.” But, wait there is more behind door number 2, and no doubt, CP, will bring more in regard to the FRAGO in the next several days. As to the initial reviews, Murphy has weighed in, so we are all cheering up, things could be worse…..
https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2024/04/09/the-marines-pacific-allies-are-copying-its-littoral-regiment-moves/?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dfn-dnr
Interesting article just came across on my evening "Early Bird" news feed.
"In recent years, the Corps has developed the littoral regiment as purpose-built for littoral combat, or fighting in the shallower reaches where land, islands and archipelagos meet ocean.
Bierman said that military partners and allies in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines are either copying elements of the littoral combat concept or were working toward these moves even as the Corps began developing it."
What in the world convinced these active duty generals that they possessed some insight that has eluded everyone else? The Chinese are not stupid and Marines propositioned on small islands within their zone of influence will be lost long before they will be a threat. The Corps has always been prescient and innovative, but this “force design” is wishful, untested nonsense. China has been in control of port facilities and maritime choke points for a long time with no realistic counter. This seems a more realistic concern for the Marine Corps. Semper
Somewhat off topic but related, is an article in April's USNI Proceedings, "Force Design is Still too Heavy". The article suggests that the logistics burden on the Marine infantry force is still too heavy. Rather than being a line-infantry force, the Marine Corps should be light infantry force. One of the examples used were the UK Chindits operating in Burma and their light footprint.
Forget FD ……go w Rapid Dragon “Rapid Dragon: the US military game-changer that could affect conventional and nuclear strategy and arms control negotiations
By George M. Moore | August 4, 2023
Airmen and riggers with the 1st Special Operations Squadron Logistics Readiness Squadron load a Rapid Dragon palletized weapon system aboard an MC-130J at Hurlburt Field, Florida in December 2021. (US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Brandon Esau.)Airmen and riggers with the 1st Special Operations Squadron Logistics Readiness Squadron load a Rapid Dragon palletized weapon system aboard an MC-130J at Hurlburt Field, Florida in December 2021. (US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Brandon Esau.)
Share
The United States Air Force recently announced the successful test of its Rapid Dragon system in a major Pacific exercise.[1] This followed an earlier successful test during an exercise in Norway in late 2022.[2]
The Air Force’s Research Laboratory says that “Rapid Dragon is a palletized munitions experimentation campaign exploring feasibility and operational advantages of airdropping long-range palletized munitions from existing airlift platforms, such as the C-130 and C-17, without aircraft modifications.”[3] In standard English, Rapid Dragon converts cargo aircraft into weapons carriers that can deploy cruise missiles (and potentially other standoff or self-defense weapons) by releasing them on pallets via the planes’ rear cargo ramps. Such a system makes a cargo aircraft into the equivalent of a bomber. Potentially the cargo aircrafts’ weapons load is limited only by how many pallets will fit in the cargo bay.
In US military circles, there has been discussion of the potential impacts Rapid Dragon can have on increasing the level of conventional threat that potential adversaries, particularly China, will have to deal with. But there has been little discussion about the implications of Rapid Dragon for future nuclear arms limitation talks, or what will happen to conventional “!
Marines are famous for making up humorous acronyms. I remember last century days before my TBS Class was to finally, end our merry band of brass bars were sitting in a school circle making up lists of somewhat humorous acronyms. Flash forward almost one half century and the USMC’s FD brain trust is still playing this game. Will Our SIF be caught inside or outside the WEZ? Will our tiny band of Marines and our even smaller number of short ranged missiles deter the enemy before we finish off our fresh caught crabs or feral pigs? In the meantime if we are lucky several gigantic typhoons may wipe out the PRC made islands and we can get back to Supremacy of the MEF and engaging in Offensive Maneuver Warfare From the Sea.
Defense News “Project Overmatch’s Small says EW is ‘killer app’ for unmanned tech
By Colin Demarest
Apr 11 at 09:37 AM
Members of Combined Task Force 152 operate a small boat near a MARTAC T-38 Devil Ray unmanned surface vessel in the Arabian Gulf.
Members of Combined Task Force 152 operate a small boat near a Martac T38 Devil Ray unmanned surface vessel in the Arabian Gulf. (NAVCENT Public Affairs/U.S. Navy)
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Unmanned technologies for years have been used to scout dangerous areas, schlep much-needed supplies and deliver destructive payloads.
But for one U.S. Navy commander, there’s another more-promising application.
“For unmanned systems, I think electronic warfare- and cyber-related mission areas are the ‘killer app,’ if you will,” Rear Adm. Doug Small said April 10 at the Sea-Air-Space defense conference here. “That is the growth imperative.”
Small is the leader of Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, what he calls the service’s “Geek Squad.” He’s also the head of Project Overmatch, which seeks to digitally link sailors, Marines and their vessels over vast distances. Little has been shared about the project since its inception in 2020, with officials attributing the secrecy to Russian and Chinese monitoring.
Outfitting unmanned vehicles or vessels with jammers, spoofers and other gear capable of wreaking electronic havoc is “absolutely critical,” according to Small. EW represents a battle over the electromagnetic spectrum, which militaries for decades have relied upon to communicate, identify friend from foe, and guide weapons to their targets.
Rear Adm. Doug Small, the U.S. Navy’s Project Overmatch boss, pauses before answering a question about unmanned technologies at the 2024 Sea-Air-Space conference in National Harbor, Maryland.”
Why waste DoD $ on SIF using 115 mile range missiles? Visit HI Sutton Covert Shores Overview Of Maritime Drones (USVs) Of The Russo-Ukrainian War for 2022-24
Sun 07 April 2024
By H I Sutton
UPDATED
CLICK to Enlarge.
Overview Of Maritime Drones (USVs) Of The Russo-Ukrainian War, 2022-24
Flag Russia Flag Ukraine Following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine swiftly developed a potent uncrewed naval force. Utilizing explosive-equipped uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), Ukraine has successfully inflicted significant damage on the Russian Navy. These pose such a formidable threat that the Russian fleet into a state of inactivity at port. This grants Ukraine a level of sea denial that was scarcely conceivable just a few years ago.
The cornerstone of this achievement, in my opinion, lies primarily in the implementation of uncrewed platforms. This has allowed operations which would not have been viable with crewed vessels. Uncrewed vessels can be smaller, and expendable.
Ukraine's uncrewed vessel revolution has in turn only been possible because of real-time two-way satellite communications. There have been uncrewed platforms before, but high bandwidth communications allows human-in-the-loop control. This enables faster deployment and rapid adaption to evolving targets and missions. Starlink serves as the primary provider of satellite communications, although Kymeta is also utilized. Automation will improve, likely making this human-in-loop command less necessary, but that is some way off.
We have also seen some development of semi-submerged or fully submerged versions. These fall under the UUV or AUV (uncrewed underwater vehicle, or autonomous underwater vehicle) category.
All current designs are characterized as being relatively small, much smaller than if humans had to be carried. This has many advantages.
There are, for sure, more types under development. This visualization only includes publicly revealed types.
Mykola