2030 Force Design

VIDEO: CMC Gen. David Berger Retires, Gen. Eric Smith Takes Over Marine Corps

Gen. David H. Berger speaks during his relinquishment of command ceremony at Marine Barracks Washington, D.C., July 10, 2023. DoD Photo

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The leader of one of the most controversial eras of the Marine Corps retired on Monday as he relinquished command of the service to the first acting commandant in more than a century.

Gen. David Berger retired after 42 years in the Marine Corps and commandant of the Marine Corps Monday at the Marine Corps Barracks just steps from the house he...

https://news.usni.org/2023/07/10/video-cmc-gen-david-berger-retires-gen-eric-smith-takes-over-marine-corps

Marine Corps Personnel Change Was Key to New Force Design, Says CMC Berger

Marines and recruits on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., practice close-order drill on July 05, 2023. US Marine Corps Photo

WASHINGTON, DC – When Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger laid out his vision for the Marine Corps, it included a fundamental manpower shift.

Instead of the service’s generations-old train-and-replace model that relied on young Marines who signed on for a single four-year enlistment, the commandant of the Marine Corps shifted its priorities to emphasize...

Report to Congress on Marine Corps Force Design 2030

The following is the June 30, 2023 Congressional Research Service report, U.S. Marine Corps Force Design 2030 Initiative: Background and Issues for Congress.

From the report

On March 23, 2020, the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) announced a major force design initiative referred to as “Force Design 2030.” As part of this initiative, intended to occur over the next 10 years, the Marine Corps would redesign the service for naval expeditionary warfare and to better align itself with the National Defense...

https://news.usni.org/2023/07/03/report-to-congress-on-marine-corps-force-design-2030

Ingalls Eyeing LPD Cost Reductions, Capability Increases As Future Fleet Design Evolves

USS Arlington (LPD-24) transits the Mediterranean Sea on Feb. 1, 2019. US Navy Photo

As the Navy looks to smaller and cheaper manned and unmanned ships to fill out its future fleet, a larger amphibious warship program is positioning itself to remain in shipbuilding plans by highlighting the ability to continue bringing costs down – including through a potential first-ever multi-ship buy – and adding capability.
The San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks (LPD-17) went from a troubled new...

https://news.usni.org/2021/01/21/ingalls-eyeing-lpd-cost-reductions-capability-increases-as-future-fleet-design-evolves

Marines Look to Two New Ship Classes to Define Future of Amphibious Operations

Sea Transport Solutions Image

The Navy and Marine Corps are looking to quickly overhaul their Cold War-era way of moving Marines around, with the services already agreeing on the basic requirements for a new Light Amphibious Warship (LAW) and in the early phases of looking at a separate small amphibious ship class.

LAW would be among the biggest change to the amphibious force in decades. Marines typically deploy as a 2,200-strong Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard a three-ship Amphibious Ready...

https://news.usni.org/2020/06/08/marines-look-to-two-new-ship-classes-to-define-future-of-amphibious-operations

Marines’ Force Design 2030 May Allow MEUs Tailored for Different Geographies, Adversaries

31st Marine Expeditionary Unit Marines embarked aboard San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD-20) operate assault amphibious vehicles during a rehearsal exercise with Royal Thai military in support of Cobra Gold 2020 on Feb. 27, 2020. US Marine Corps Photo

The Marine Corps’ new force design may allow East Coast expeditionary units to look much different than West Coast or Japan-based units, a nod to the complex but different environments they’ll operate in and...

https://news.usni.org/2020/04/02/marines-force-design-2030-may-allow-meus-tailored-for-different-geographies-adversaries

Marines Won’t Cut Planned F-35 Buy Totals for Now, But External Review Could Change That

An F-35B Lightning II assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 265 (Reinforced) takes off from the flight deck of amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6) on March 23, 2020. US Navy Photo

A Marine Corps decision to reduce the number of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters per squadron from 16 to 10 won’t lead to a cut in the total number of planes the service wants to buy just yet – but the commandant warned industry that external factors could lead...

https://news.usni.org/2020/04/01/marines-wont-cut-planned-f-35-buy-totals-for-now-but-external-review-could-change-that

Document: Marine Corps Force Design 2030

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT

This report describes the progress of the Marine Corps on my watch in preparing for the sweeping changes needed to meet the principal challenges facing the institution: effectively playing our role as the nation’s naval expeditionary force-in-readiness, while simultaneously modernizing the force in accordance with the National Defense Strategy (NDS) – and doing both within the fiscal resources we are provided. A certain degree of institutional change is inevitable when...

https://news.usni.org/2020/03/26/document-marine-corps-force-design-2030

Marine Corps Training Continues – With Some Modifications – to Keep High Readiness Despite Pandemic

U.S. Marines with 1st Marine Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, participate in urban operations training during exercise Native Fury 20 in the United Arab Emirates on March 22, 2020. US Marine Corps Photo

THE PENTAGON – The Marine Corps is dedicated to remaining a “fight tonight” force for the United States despite the coronavirus pandemic and will continue training to mission-essential tasks as determined by local commanders, the commandant said today.

“We are mandated by law to be the nation’s...

https://news.usni.org/2020/03/26/marine-corps-training-continues-with-some-modifications-to-keep-high-readiness-despite-pandemic

New Marine Corps Cuts Will Slash All Tanks, Many Heavy Weapons As Focus Shifts to Lighter, Littoral Forces

An M1 Abrams Tank with mine plow attachment conducts fire and maneuver training operations with 2d Tank Battalion, 2d Marine Division at Fort Stewart, Ga., in 2018. US Marine Corps Photo

The Marine Corps will soon lay out its path to achieve a 2030 force optimized for conflict with China in the littorals – a force that will completely divest of its tanks and slash most of its artillery cannon battalions, instead focusing on developing light mobility options to get around island chains with the...

https://news.usni.org/2020/03/23/new-marine-corps-cuts-will-slash-all-tanks-many-heavy-weapons-as-focus-shifts-to-lighter-littoral-forces