Marine modernization keeps a foot on the gas, sees progress and challenges

The United States Marine Corps, like its fellow service branches, is in the midst of a big modernization initiative called Force Design

Launched in 2019, this effort is all about getting ready for future conflicts, especially in the Indo-Pacific region

The goal? To turn the Marine Corps into a lighter, more agile, and tech-savvy force that can operate effectively in challenging environments

So, nearly six years in, how close is the Corps to achieving its goal

To find out, we sat in on a session with General Eric Smith, the Commandant of the Marine Corps

and Admiral James Kilby, the Acting Chief of Naval Operations. Right, well, good morning

Try that again. Good morning. There we go. Yeah, there we go. There's a Marine

It should probably come as no surprise the 39th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps is all business

when it comes to the future of the Marines. In a 30-minute session that started with a keynote speech before shifting gears for some Q&A, General Eric Smith covered a wide range of priorities for the branch

Like the Barracks 2030 initiative, a $5 billion, five-year plan to upgrade facilities, and the role of autonomous systems in future operations

Oh yeah, that's real sexy. Smith emphasized the opportunities at hand for the 200,000 plus Marines serving on active

duty and in the reserves. Every generation of Marines has added a new page to the playbook and now it our turn Force design stand in forces long range precision fires maritime denial and control from the shore these aren experiments They our contribution to the next fight And like every era before us they built on lessons learned by Marines in conflict

One specific priority for Smith is returning to a 3.0 ARG-MU. For the non-Marines watching, that's an amphibious ready group slash Marine expeditionary unit

Smith said ARG Mews are like Swiss Army knives, good for all sorts of things

The 3.0 is our North Star. A Mew embarked on a three-ship amphibious ready group is the most versatile, flexible, and lethal global response force the United States has to offer

It doesn't require access, basing, and overflight. It gives the nation's leaders options

We can park ourselves 12 miles off anybody's coast and stay there for as long as we damn well please

So why is the 3.0 more aspirational than actionable right now? Smith says it's a lack of amphibious warships

We don't have enough that are ready. We're working with the Navy to fix that

But I need you to understand this is about more than ships

It's about deterrence and denial. It's about making sure Marines are in position when the next fight comes

Smith went on to talk about a range of issues facing his branch, from force design to recruiting and retention and everything in between

And while he acknowledged there are no sure paths or easy answers

he remains optimistic about the end result. This is going to take time We going to do it the right way not the fast way just like Marines always do So yes the tools are changing The formations are changing The fight itself is

changing. But what never changes is who we are. We are Marines. We are a warfighting organization

disciplined, lethal, and ready. About 90 minutes after General Smith rapped, the acting chief of naval operations, Admiral James Kilby, took to the stage, again covering a

lot of topics but hitting on some major themes, like how the Navy is honing in on sea control

pointing out they're moving from a more relaxed environment to one that's much more contested

That means I have to have control of that sea space, all domains from air, space, surface

subsurface to conduct from that sanctuary for however long a time I need it, those effects I

need to bring to shore. So it's not like we're getting away from power projection, but we are

emphasizing sea control and buying the kit and capability in concert with the Marine Corps to

achieve that level of sanctuary to conduct that power projection. With an eye clearly set on the

future, Kilby laid out seven priorities for 2027, making sure America's maritime forces are at 80

combat surge readiness, adapting to the use of autonomous systems, enhancing maritime operations

centers improving recruitment upgrading quality of life building up warfighter skills and restoring his branch infrastructure Kilby also touched on the challenges the Navy and Marines are facing with maintaining amphibious ships

and their need to get the availability rates up. So I'll be frank with you. We owe you a three-ship ARG

I owe you a three-ship ARG that's ready to embark Marines and conduct the training cycle and deploy on schedule

I did not meet that requirement with the Boxer ARG or the Wasp ARG

And I'm focused on meeting that requirement to make sure we move forward

And even though he didn't exactly echo the thoughts of former Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall

China, China, China, he did emphasize the importance of blending Marine Corps capabilities into Navy operations

especially in the Western Pacific. We are responding to a call from our adversary, China, who said

we want to be ready in 2027. Therefore, the United States Navy and I would argue our military must be

ready in 2027 across all our platforms to bring those effects to bear. To wrap things up, he

highlighted how crucial it is for the Navy and Marine Corps to continue working together. How do

we support the Marine Corps when they want to demonstrate the ability and to show the advantage

of an expeditionary advanced base that I can get up and move and reposition and bring those effects

to bear. That's work I think we need to do together. Something Kilby says the Marine Corps

and Navy have done for 250 years, adding they owe it to the country to continue to work side by side