[Rockingham]

My guess is that the new force structure is intended to permit rapid deployment of Marines to SE Asia to dispute or control large areas of sea and littoral. For example, to bolster the USN and the Philippines or Vietnam against Chinese naval and air forces. Such a capability would greatly complicate Chinese strategic planning.

[Mariner]

“My guess is that the new force structure is intended to permit rapid deployment of Marines to SE Asia to dispute or control large areas of sea and littoral.”

Great.

Now, what mission tasks will be abandoned? What new weapons platforms/designs are required? When and how will they be integrated into the Corps? How long will it take?

[calenel]

Taiwan. South China Sea.

[Tallguy]

Other sources going back months, if not a year, suggest that the Corps is going to focus on “raiding”. When I hear that I think of what the USMC did in the immediate aftermath of Pearl Harbor at places like Makin Island and Kwajalein Atoll. Makes a certain amount of sense. Why would you seize an island & hold it when the Chinese could simply plaster it with ballistic missiles? If anything the US Military is talking about shifting assets around from strategic bases deemed to be too close to China to bases further away.

[Svartalfiar]

My guess is that the new force structure is intended to permit rapid deployment of Marines to SE Asia to dispute or control large areas of sea and littoral.

And how does the guidance accomplish that task? The related parts I see from this article are decreasing littoral/amphibious capabilities, not increasing them. The guidance reduces ... amphibious vehicle companies (from 6 to 4), helicopter attack squadrons (from 7 to 5), and the number of F-35Bs in its air squadrons.