Meanwhile, the Marines will boost other categories of equipment and buy new kit. Manpower cuts to fund new equipment purchases would result in the need for fewer helicopters and tiltrotors like the UH-1Y Venom and MV-22B Osprey. The M777 howitzer has a minimum range of 1.6 miles, leaving them unable to provide fire support on small islands. M1A1 Abrams tanks are highly capable, but less useful fighting on the small artificial islands China has built in the South China Sea, and the Marines believe sea and air-based drones can provide the same firepower. The eliminations and reductions are designed to make the service lighter and more easily deployable. The Marines will maintain their target of 420 F-35Bs and F-35Cs, while reducing the number of aircraft per squadron from 16 to 10. The Corps is also reducing the number of infantry battalions from 24 to 21, and cutting each battalion’s manpower by 10 percent. The Marines are sharply reducing the number of M777 155-millimeter howitzers, and instituting modest cuts to tiltrotor and helicopter squadrons. Army, plus the heavy bridging equipment that would allow tanks to cross rivers, ditches, and other obstacles.
The Marine Corps eliminated tanks from its global inventory, transferring more than 450 to the U.S. Getty Imagesįorce Design 2030 instituted a number of hard changes. The Marines will substitute most of their howitzers for the M142 HIMARS rocket launcher, shown here.
0 kommentar(er)
