USMC wil lichter, beweeglijker en onbemand worden

Het United States marine Corps gaat drastisch veranderen. In een plan genaamd ‘Force Design 2030’ wordt alles uitgelegd. Het Corps zal twaalfduizend mariniers inleveren. Alle tanks worden afgestoten en er wordt zwaar ingezet op raket-artillerie.

Het resultaat van de inspanningen van fase I en II was opnieuw ontworpen “Objective Force” met de volgende kenmerken:

Total Fleet Marine Force (FMF) structure
• Reduction of approximately 12,000 Marines
relative to the current Total Force by 2030
Command Element
• Divestment of 3 active component law
enforcement battalions

Ground Combat Element
• 7 infantry regimental headquarters
(divestment of 1 regimental headquarters)
• 21 active component infantry battalions
(divestment of 3 battalions)
• 6 reserve component infantry battalions
(divestment of 2 battalions)
• Redesign of remaining infantry battalions in
the direction of greater lethality and flexibility,
with reduced structure (a proposed reduction
per infantry battalion of approximately 200
Marines).
• 5 cannon artillery batteries (divestment of
16 batteries)
• 21 rocket artillery batteries (increase of 14
batteries over current force)
• Zero tank companies (divestment of entire
capacity of 7 companies and prepositioned
capacity)
• 12 Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR)
companies (increase of 3 companies over
current force)
• 4 Assault Amphibian (AA) companies
(divestment of 2 companies)

Air Combat Element
• 18 active component fighter attack (VMFA)
squadrons, with a reduction in the number
of aircraft per squadron to 10
• 14 active component medium tiltrotor (VMM)
squadrons (recommended divestment of 3
squadrons)
• 5 active component heavy lift helicopter
(HMH) squadrons (recommended divestment
of 3 squadrons)
• 5 active component light attack helicopter
(HMLA) squadrons (divestment of 2
squadrons)
• 4 active component aerial refueler transport
(VMGR) squadrons (increase of one squadron
over current force)
• 6 active component unmanned aerial
vehicle (VMU) squadrons (increase of three
quadrons over current force)