2012-11-04 In a recent piece in The Proceedings, three Marines provide some ideas about how to enhance the capabilities of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force going forward.
Col. Todd Desgrosseilliers, Col. William Bowers, and Lt. Col. Christian Wortman focus on the importance or projecting power into anti-access, area-denial (A2/AD) environments. They argue that to keep pace with emerging threats, the Navy–
Marine Corps team is on the cusp of important advances in projecting power through the full range of amphibious and crisis-response operations.
As readers of Second Line of Defense and of AOL Defense are well aware this has been a core theme of our team. We have focused for more than two years on shaping ways to think about the future of power projection, and not just in A2/AD settings. We have observed exercises and new technologies across the board, which can help shape the approach of the United States and its allies.
https://sldinfo.com/special-report-on-crafting-a-new-pacific-strategy/
With special focus on the USN-USMC team, we have focused on the triad of new ships, and the Osprey and the F-35.
https://sldinfo.com/the-baseline-f-35/
http://defense.aol.com/2012/08/23/the-osprey-after-five-years-leading-a-tsunami-of-change/
http://defense.aol.com/2012/10/24/the-coming-of-the-america-class-a-driver-of-innovation/
We also are looking at how the new capabilities of the Gator navy flow into a new approach to combat operations in the Pacific and elsewhere.
https://sldinfo.com/winning-the-airsea-battle/
The authors look at what they consider to be four core requirements for the MAGTF going forward:
- Networked forces, cross-domain integration, and new concepts for combined arms.
- Expanded ACE capabilities
- Developing at-sea, in-stream offload capabilities for Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron or MPSRONs.
- Developing operational wisdom through better recruiting, retention, training, and education.
For a look at Jim Strock of the USMC Combat Development Command’s presentation of the evolution of the elements crucial to the third point of the author’s see below: