Compass Points - The Answer?
Worldwide dangers require a worldwide force.
February 5, 2024
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What is the answer to deterring the enemies of the US around the world?
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On February 2, 2024, the US launched 125 precision missiles and bombs on 85 targets in Syria and Iraq to deter Iran and Iran's proxy forces, Hamas, Houthi, and Hezbollah. Will it deter? Are the strikes the right answer?
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The US faces foes around the world including Iran, Russia, North Korea, and China, especially China. The US military has labeled China the "pacing challenge."
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In his recent article in The Defense Post, "Forget China, We Can’t Even Beat the Houthis" Gary Anderson writes:
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. . . Eliminating the Houthi threat of missiles and drones would require ground assault troops to locate the underground sanctuaries that allow the launchers to be rolled out, fired quickly, and re-hidden just as quickly.
A large-scale amphibious raid to methodically find and eliminate these facilities would likely mean at least two months of sustained combat by a division-sized force.
Aside from the shipping required to land and maintain such a force, the troops involved would need assault bridging, tanks, and volumes of artillery that the Marine Corps no longer has.
It has taken a few years for the chickens to come home to roost, but the bottom line is that the US no longer has the capability or credibility to conduct large-scale amphibious operations.
-- Gary Anderson
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The reduction in Marine Corps capabilities has reduced the deterrent power of the Marine Corps. If US forces cannot deter a tiny, regional force like the Houthis, how can the US deter China?
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Defense Daily reported on recent remarks by Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks on the swarm drone program called Replicator.
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Hicks on Tuesday also reiterated that going after attritable autonomous systems is only the first instantiation of the Replicator initiative with more efforts to follow in different technology areas. “It’s about showing ourselves — and our adversaries — that DoD can move fast to shape the battlespace and equip our warfighters with what they need,” Hicks said.
-- Defense Daily
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Replicator is a powerful and welcome new initiative. Will the drone swarms of Replicator by themselves deter China and the enemies of the US around the world? Will Replicator deter the Houthis?
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The real deterrent power of the US is the power of all branches of the US military doing what they do best. The deterrent value of each service is geometrically multiplied when combined by each of the other services.
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To build and rebuild the deterrent power of the US, each service must do even better what they already do best.
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The Air Force must provide the best worldwide force of planes.
The Army must provide the best massive land force.
The Navy must provide the best global fleets.
And the Marine Corps must provide the best crisis response forces -- the immediate shock troops, organized into air, ground, logistics units always on constant global patrol, ready to arrive, assist, and fight.
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What is the answer for deterring the Houthis? What is the answer for deterring Iran, Russia, North Korea, and China? Writing for the Wall Street Journal, Seth Cropsey warns it all comes down to a bigger, better equipped military.
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A much bigger military to deter multiple contingencies is necessary at this point. The U.S. needs a military buildup akin to that of the interwar period, including large-scale investments in shipbuilding and munitions production, life-extension programs for elements of the fleet, and the creation of new, smaller warships suitable for lower-tier missions such as escorting convoys in the Red Sea. A bigger Navy wouldn’t remedy Mr. Biden’s escalation-avoidance policy. But it would provide future presidents with the tools necessary for the U.S. to remain the world’s dominant military power.
-- Seth Cropsey, WSJ
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What is the answer to deterring the enemies of the US around the world? It will take all the services, including the Space Force, to regain global deterrence. The Marine Corps must be ready to stand up and play its critical role as the Nation's global, crisis response, force. Compass Points salutes all those across the Marine community and in Congress working to rebuild and rebalance the global, crisis response, MAGTF.
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The Defense Post (thedefensepost.com) 02/01/2024
Forget China, We Can’t Even Beat the Houthis
The US no longer has the capability or credibility to conduct large-scale amphibious operations.
By Gary Anderson
https://www.thedefensepost.com/2024/02/01/us-cant-beat-houthis/
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Defense Daily (defensedaily.com) 01/2024
DoD To Submit Replicator Spending Plan To Congress In Coming Days, Hicks Says
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Wall Street Journal (wsj.com) 01/30/2024
Biden’s Middle East Muddle
To avoid more casualties, the U.S. needs a coherent strategy toward the region—and a bigger Navy.
By Seth Cropsey
I (kinda) disagree with Gary!
I cannot agree with Gary Anderson’s idea of a multi-month MEB size amphibious raid on Yemen to find and eliminate the Houthi missile/drone launch sights and supply points. I understand Gary is lamenting the loss of US Marine Corps capabilities, however, if you are going to conduct a raid it needs to be a RAID…go in (SURPRISE!), blowup something and get out before they can respond.
In addition, our senior military leaders (and politicians) will lose the information battle by turning it over to our media that paints our Marines as murders. The US media will take the enemy’s propaganda, true or false, and turn it into “Strategic Legalism” (https://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/strategic-legalism ). Israel is barely winning the information war against Hamas terrorist primarily due to the innocent civilian massacre and hostage taking on Oct 7th.
An amphibious raid needs to be a strategic eye-opener for everyone (i.e. Iran, Pakistan, and the CCP). Conduct an amphibious raid on Socotia Island at the southern entrance of the Gulf of Aden. There is also the Mayyun Island at the entrance of the Red Sea just off the western tip of Yemen. Both islands are strategically important. Either or both islands would get the Houthi’s and their supporter’s attention. You can go so far and call it an amphibious demonstration as long as we don’t keep them and you get out quickly.
IMO what should be done is a “Blockade” of the Yemen ports in accordance with International Law. (By retaliating against the Houthi rocket launchers and drones, I feel the US is doing exactly what Iran wants.) Running a “Blockade” to stop the export of oil and the import of rockets and drones would be unexpected. A legal blockade would allow the import of items essential to civilian sustainment. Yemen’s oil accounts for over 52% of their exports and stopping the oil would definitely hit them in the pocket. It would send a message to Iran that they might be next.
If you run an oil blockade, Yemen will continue to run their refineries until their storage capacity is reached. If the blockade leaks, it is time for plan B; to attack the Yemen oil fields. Use precision guided munitions to take out the refineries distillers. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/refining-crude-oil-the-refining-process.php The distillers are a key component of a refinery operations. These large chimney like structures are easy targets and are difficult to replace.
Semper Fi
We have a world wide force. But yes, it should be larger. USMC is just about right for what the nation asks of it. Gotta love those democrats.