Compass Points - Missile Muddle
Missiles and missions for Marines.
Compass Points - Missile Muddle
Missiles and missions for Marines.
March 14, 2024
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A new article published today by Real Clear Defense raises again the issue of the Marine Corps and missiles. How many missiles does the Marine Corps need? What kinds of missiles? For what missions? The article, "Duplication and Obsolescence: The Marine Corps’ Missile Dilemma" reviews what the Marine Corps has asked for last spring:
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In his March 28, 2023 statement before the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Commandant of the Marine Corps asked Congress for 14 medium-range missile batteries and 774 subsonic Naval Strike Missiles (NSM), with an unclassified range of about 115 nautical miles. The Commandant also asked Congress for three long-range missile batteries and 153 subsonic Tomahawk (Land Attack and Maritime Strike) missiles, with an unclassified range of approximately 1000 nautical miles. Only 4 of the 17 batteries will be permanently forward deployed in the Pacific. The remaining 13 batteries will be based in the continental United States to support rotational deployments and other missions.
-- Real Clear Defense
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The current Marine budget submission before Congress raises more questions.
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In the budget there is apparently no continuing funding planned for the Marine Corps Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM). Elsewhere in the Naval budget there is funding for the Maritime Strike Tomahawk (MST) missile but those are for the Navy, not for the Marines. Has the Marine Corps decided to end its Tomahawk program?
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The budget submission also indicates the Marine Corps in future years stops purchasing the NMESIS missile (Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System) which is or was the well-publicized ground-based ship killing capability of the US Marine Corps. No Tomahawk in the future? No NMESIS? PowerPoint presentations and press releases are one thing, but budget requests to Congress are much more serious. Perhaps the Marine Corps is delaying purchases until the LSM - Landing Ship Medium is available, but the LSM may not be constructed for many years -- if ever. The Marine Corps seems to be in a missile muddle.
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All the services go before Congress and request funding. There is never enough funding for everything. Each service must be resolutely clear on how they support the national defense.
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The way for each service to fend off harmful interference in its own upgrade efforts, is for each service to be clear on the value they bring to national defense. When the Marine Corps does not remain resolutely focused on its primary purpose, its unique contribution to national defense as an always ready, fully capable, expeditionary 9-1-1 force, then it invites outsiders to tamper with Marine Corps organization, training, and equipment. Confusion breeds confusion.
The Marine Corps is not the Army, Air Force, or Navy. The Marine Corps is not now and never will be the primary repository for Tomahawk missiles. Each armed service must develop their strongest capabilities, the capabilities that can meet the requirements of the Combatant Commanders. When each armed service focuses on what they do best, then together all the armed services will keep the Nation safe. The key is for the Marine Corps and all the armed services to stay tied to the Combatant Commanders and their critical requirements.
-- Compass Points, Errant Missile - 07/27/2024
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Missiles are a useful tool now and, in the future, but Marine leadership needs to use the Marine Corps Combat Development Center at Quantico to help balance the full range of critical Marine Corps capabilities. As authors James Conway & Jerry McAbee conclude in their article,
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We believe the Marine Corps is at a crossroads. Senior leaders need to look closely at the numbers and types of missiles the Corps is procuring and where in the Marine Expeditionary Forces (MEF) they will reside. We also believe the Marine Corps is currently imbalanced. It will soon have too many relatively obsolete missiles and currently has too few traditional combined arms weapons. In today’s unstable world, the requirement for global, expeditionary crisis response forces is more critical than ever. It’s time to reassert the Marine Corps’ primary role as the Combatant Commanders “mailed fist” to deter hostile actors throughout the world and set conditions for conflict termination on terms favorable to the U.S., its allies, and partners.
-- Real Clear Defense
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Compass Points thanks General Conway and Brigadier General McAbee for their insightful article that provides much needed guidance to the Marine Corps' missile muddle.
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Real Clear Defense - 03/14/2024
Duplication and Obsolescence: The Marine Corps’ Missile Dilemma
By James Conway & Jerry McAbee
General Conway (USMC, ret.) is a career infantry officer. His last assignment was the 34th Commandant of the Marine Corps.
Brigadier General McAbee (USMC, ret.) is a career artillery officer. His last assignment was Deputy Commander, United States Marine Corps Forces Pacific, and Deputy Commander, United States Marine Corps Forces Central.
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Compass Points - Errant Missile
Stay tied closely to critical requirements.
July 27, 2023
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-errant-missile
Bad strategy and 2030 Design is a bad plan. General Berger did not utilize the advantages of the JOINT Service. Somalia - the successful Operation Restore Hope (5Dec92-4May93) - a humanitarian operation to feed the starving nation of Somalia. The COMBATANT Commander and the JTF used three MEUs during that operation (11th MEU (SOC), 15th MEU (SOC)) 13th MEU (SOC)). Today the US cannot even keep one MEU on station in the Red Sea. BTW General Hoar CENTCOM CO, General Johnson JTF Commander, General Wilhelm MARFOR CO, and General Zinni JTF Operation Chief, all Marine Corps Generals, were instrumental in the success of this operation. The Joint Service drew four aces to play this hand of Joint Force poker.
From the article: "And these services are upgrading their current missile force and buying more. The Marine Corps cannot and should not try to compete with them in this realm.". - https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2024/03/14/duplication_and_obsolescence_the_marine_corps_missile_dilemma_1018144.html
Well said. This situation is an indicator of just how poorly the USMC has been doing at the DoD poker game. The USMC has given away its Royal Flush (MAGTF), while acting as if a pair will equal another services' 4 of a kind. There are areas where the USMC is never going to have a big hand...and they will always be the suckers for trying to play up that weak hand. General Conway and Brigadier General McAbee have exposed budgeting questions that could provide the USMC a wild card play to pivot to a better hand...if it chooses.