Marine Corps Long-Range Lethality and Force Design 2030

LtCol Scott Cuomo, US Marine Corps infantry officer, talks about the development of Force Design 2030 and ongoing changes in the Marine Corps that are making Marines more lethal at longer range for the peer fight.

[ShortyTW]

Excellent interview. Thank you for have a person on that actually understands Force Design 2030 and it's purpose properly, and is NOT all emotional about it. Just the facts with the correct context...I love it.

[acanfield]

Outstanding discussion. FD 2030 critics should listen to this excellent overview.

[SavageStephen]

They want to divert funding from sniper scouting, tanks, and heavy artillery to increase naval integration capabilities to specialize for specific maritime operations. The Marine Corps has a tight budget and it just makes more sense to do this since we are a maritime force not the army...

[vmpgsc]

Outstanding podcast episode. From SOI to MLB and all the capabilities being fielded in between, Force Design 2030 is a clear-eyed, can-do approach to fielding a Marine Corps that keeps our "pacing threats" up at night.

[American]

Brilliant podcast, very informative. Thank you

[nastya-driver]

Well Done, Scott! BZ - I'm passing this on to some of my generation; it needs to be part of the dialogue. Hope to see you again in the War Hall...Nasty sends / SF

[cm-prys]

There should still be snipers. Also, we should standardize a Designated Marksmen's Course and a Scout Platoon Selection and Training Course if we want to see real benefits from this restructuring. I understand and agree with the change in emphasis to Scouting over sniping, but at the same time, Snipers don't take away the ability to conduct precision marksmanship or even scouting capabilities from the rest of the infantry battalions. They just specialize the most in it. Imagine having Scout Platoons AND Scout/ Sniper (or Surveillance Target Acquisition) Platoons! Why not have BOTH? Snipers are a HUGE force multiplier when you look at how small, distributed, low signature units can punch above their weight in an enemy's weapons engagement zone by delivering precision marksmanship on selected targets from afar. Thats in addiiton to the benefits this Scout Platoon also brings. Speaking of range, where are Assaultmen? Marines that can use a weapon system that's better than the LAW, and cheaper and lighter than the Javelin can be an effective supplement to the 0352's in CAAT, in addition to delivering precision direct explosive fire with various types of rounds (including airburst) can be another form of indirect fire support. Urban centers next to coastlines are expected to grow in the future, so why not have more than 1 Squad of Engineers that can supplement those engineers as needed, and act as another platoon of riflemen when not needed to be assaultmen? What about a wheeled, amphibious, airmobile, air droppable tank destroyer? What about replacing the heavy and large 155mm howitzer with a 105mm howitzer that is lighter, smaller, has cheap ammunition, can be self-propelled, and has a smaller kill radius meaning lower risk of collateral damage? What about making JTAC a primary MOS to provide more terminal control to the increased amount of drones the infantry have? What about nodernizing the M27 IAR to supplement Snipers and the DM-trained Marines in the Scout Platoon, let alone the infantry? What about the Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System Rocket to mount on ULTV's, JLTV's, ARV's, ACV's, and so on? Why aren't wet gap crossings, surf qualification, and amphibious assaults covered in IMC (and maybe one day in Boot Camp)? What about a lightweight, man-portable version of the .50 Cal with a dual feed capability to better help the infantry combat enemy vehicles? Plans for a lighter version of the 81mm mortar with extended range- at least as far as the old 120mm EFSS could reach? Standardize TSULC? Bring DLAP to every Division? High Performer Track for the SLDP? Adversay Force Companies to help with Force-on-Force exercises in each Division? Supplementing MEU's with FAST Platoons? Attaching LAAD elements to Infantry Battalions? Turning Air Naval Gunfire Liason Companies into Battalion-Sized units to better provide deconfliction of airspace and approval of fire missions to USMC and Joint units?

I think we have a long way to go.

[sd]

The split between Hunter & Killer is a big deal. Autonomous Bell Eagle (killer) in a self-deploy TEU driving to the front with quadcopters in drone in box (hunter) drones is something.... Bell Eagle can deploy the drone in the box anywhere and bring Hydras & line charges at scale. The lack of opex costs allows one to buy Bell Eagle in the thousands or tens of thousands. Toss in a VLS in a cargo plane... compressed air firing long range Air to Air is something.... you can't take away the initiative of time and place but you can strip mass from China.... add that to the V-22. Phoenix with 500lbs more propellant probably gets you 200 miles.... one V-22 & F-35 can deny a whole area.

[demonslayer]

I think this is the right way to go. Moving back to its amphibious/maritime roots how Marines stay deadly and first to response in the future.

[DanDaly]

What's the over/under on how many years before tanks are back? Alternatively, what would it take for tanks to come back? Hopefully, it's not we turn on the news and see a BLT (or the MLR) getting run over by 1x tank plt.

I'll try to preempt some potential responses below:
-Well, tanks can be countered by hunter-killer teams. Right, because hunter-killer teams definitely didn't exist before 4 years ago (they did in WW2, Vietnam, Arab-Israeli wars, etc.). You can easily combine armor with UAS and loitering munitions.
-Tanks became too heavy in 2019, before that ARGs and the USAF could carry them just fine.
-So many tanks are getting destroyed in Ukraine, therefore, armor is irrelevant. That would be the same as if we lived in 1943 and we deduced from the battle of Kursk, where thousands of tanks were destroyed, that armor is irrelevant.
-Lastly, if the Abrams isn't the right system fine. Look at other or foreign systems like the Panther (shares name with the WW2 tank), ROK K2, or USA MPF.

[OWRx]

Do Officers not get good cookies? Just got looking at his stack while watching haha.

[jamesrizza]

I hope they are working on a defense against drones for my Marines.

[rgriffinRETIRED_SHEEPDOG]

With all due respect he seems a little too defensive of Gen Berger. I would have rather heard more of the reasoning behind some of the other big changes such as in artillery and military police.

[ChristianGenetti]

Yeah but we got rid of our scout snipers

[flite]

So the Marines want to call up Army tanks when they need tanks because they won't have their own - because their own tanks were not fit for purpose. But the Navy can't land an Army tank because they are too heavy.
Essentially it sounds like the US is out of the amphibious forced entry game.
Its a pity this has been cut down. If you want to influence people - why not show us all of the conversation - we can fast forward if we get bored.

[mainesail]

Can the marines and navy--NOT EVEN GET THE AUDIO CORRECT---BUGGER OFFFF

[gruntusmc]

What will happen when our expedicionary units get deployed on an emergency situation an they needs heavy armor?, how long would it takes the Army to provide us with the heavy tank support?. By the time they arrive they'll will pick up the pieces of our units.
Cutting tanks, attack helicopters, fighter jets and other equipment will do more harm than good. So much for the self sufficiency of our expedicionary units to get deployed to any climate and place. If this cuts continue We'll be deployed with a ka-bar and Springfield 1903 bolt action. Our Corps juds entetred the endangeted species heading for extinction. China's not our possible enemy, We can't loose our capabilities just because some individuals are downgrading them instead of upgrading our capabilities.
Soon We'll be extinted Brothers!
Semper Fi!.

[artycat]

No Heavy Armor, A Lot Less Artillery, NO Tracked Landing throw those hard taught lessons from the past into the trash bin and then re-learn thru loss of life....2030 IS A TRUE WINNER, just like the new Indiania Jones movie!

[xusmico]

because your are a politician.... you really know how to stand by the right person to get promotions. One should stay in the same unit for the entire service. carry their rifle with them.

[OranutYatthaisong-yg]

CaMera Cadseewer 😂parten of Germany 🇩🇪 International 😂