Troopers - America's main reserve
We present to your attention the thoughts of the editor-in-chief of the magazine "1945" Daniel Gouret, a specialist in the field of analysis, who also worked in the US government. Gure is a supporter of the projection of force with the help of rapid reaction forces and in this material substantiates the need to restructure the naval fleet towards an increase in ships capable of carrying out amphibious operations.
Missiles, from tactical to intercontinental, the growing power of modern air defense systems, tactical and assault aviation - if tomorrow is a place for rapid reaction forces?
Since its inception, these forces have served the United States as a means of deterring aggression, a means of responding to crisis situations and, in the event of war, a front line of defense.
However, today, in the era weapons long-range, the relevant services of the US Department of Defense are looking for applications that should ensure the effective use of rapid reaction forces. Especially in the case of conflicts between the leading powers of the world.
If the United States participates in such conflicts, the rapid reaction forces will have to become a kind of reserve, which is not only obliged to survive the first phase of the war, but become the factor that can bring victory.
Many branches of the armed forces are working on these issues, but the most radical changes in structure and concept of use are planned tomorrow in the US Marine Corps.
The Marine Corps is making sweeping changes to prepare for high-level conflict, especially in the Indo-Pacific theater of operations. According to Marine Corps Commander General David Berger, by 2030, the new Marine Corps will become "a light, self-sufficient, highly mobile Naval Expeditionary Force capable of deploying in coastal areas where enemy weapons are hit."
The main force, which will form the basis of the planned reserve for hostilities, will be the high mobility airborne teams of the US Navy and the US Marine Corps. These units are referred to as ARG / MEU.
ARG / MEU groups can be considered unique, mainly due to their high mobility and flexibility of use. High readiness of ARG / MEU groups, capable of carrying out almost the entire spectrum of military missions characteristic of peacetime and without the slightest delay to move to wartime operations that require a greater presence of equipment to carry out combat missions.
In the event of war, ARG / MEU teams must be present in all theaters of war. The main value of the groups is that with minimal support in several cover ships playing the role of air defense and missile defense centers, groups can land in specified areas and strike, direct strike aviation forces, and suppress radio communications using mobile electronic warfare devices, paralyzing enemy command centers on land.
The ARG typically consists of three ships - LHD or LHA, LPD and LSD - which not only provide transportation of MEU air and ground elements, but can also serve as a permanent base at sea.
On the basis of the ships, it is possible to deploy medical support centers for military personnel, mobile hospitals, reconnaissance information processing centers and various repair and support services.
LHD-class ships are very useful in this type of activity, as they can carry a lot of useful equipment and supplies, ensuring the independence of groups from logistics supply centers on land.
In addition, equipment on board ships and technical reserves are capable of providing both the launch of helicopters and vertical take-off and landing aircraft, as well as the repair and maintenance of aircraft.
Large amphibious assault ships of the LHD and LPD class allow ARG / MEU groups to deploy their own air force consisting of MV-22 Osprey and AH-1W troop carriers, UH-1N attack helicopters and CH-53E heavy helicopters, vertical takeoff and landing "Harrier" or F-35B.
What is the strength and mobility of the MEU Group? The group consists of a reinforced infantry battalion with its own command and control, combat support, logistics, vehicles, indirect fire weapons and aviation elements. Once deployed, the battalion can be reinforced with additional Marine Corps, Special Forces, and even army personnel.
That is, in fact, the battalion can be deployed into an airborne assault regiment, equipped with all the necessary support tools, capable of operating also in the "gray" zone, that is, before the start of an open military conflict.
Last year, ARG / MEU demonstrated their ability to respond to crises, including by operating with non-combatants.
The ARG of Iwo Jima and the 24th MEU were rapid reaction units involved in the evacuation operation at Kabul airport in Afghanistan.
In August 2021, ARG / MEU conducted deployment operations in Haiti, where about 20 people were affected by a massive earthquake. The LPD-000 Arlington was dispatched to Haiti to provide assistance, carrying about two hundred marines, a fleet surgical brigade and a detachment of 24 MH-2R helicopters.
The assistance provided to Haiti was an example of the clear implementation of the tasks set by the ARG / MEU.
To operate properly in full independence, the US Navy and Marine Corps have a constant need for at least 31 large amphibious assault ships. But the demand for ARG / MEU constantly exceeds the supply.
The Navy is struggling to achieve the goal of keeping three ARG / MEUs at sea close to alert. But currently there are not enough ships, and the situation is far from ideal.
Airborne troops not only need enough ships to meet the ongoing demand for ARG / MEU capabilities, but also more modern and combat-ready ships.
Currently, in the interests of the navy, two new classes of amphibious assault ships are being developed at once, with greater capacity and greater strike capabilities.
The first is an LHA-class amphibious assault ship, essentially an aircraft carrier that can also carry troops, equipment and supplies.
The second is the San Antonio-class landing platform, LPD-17 dock ship, model II. The LPD-17 M.II is designed primarily for deployment of troops and equipment, but can fly helicopters and perform a number of complex functions, including command and control, advanced medical assistance, and logistical support for ground forces.
The fleet of amphibious assault ships is supported by a sophisticated industrial base encompassing thousands of workers and companies in approximately forty-three states. It is a critical multi-billion dollar sector of the economy within a larger naval shipbuilding base.
And an important aspect: the state of this sector primarily depends on how sustainably financed and long-term the program for the construction of amphibious ships turns out to be.
Meanwhile, today the United States is in an era of austerity in the military budget. But even at such a time, it makes sense to build amphibious ships to the detriment of other classes on the basis that a dock ship is more versatile and cheaper than an aircraft carrier or cruiser.
In addition, building ships in series saves significant costs. As Rob Whitman, a member of the armaments committee, noted in his proposal, the Navy is saving billions of dollars by using this principle to acquire aircraft carriers, destroyers and submarines. This approach should be extended to the procurement of landing craft.
ARG / MEU is arguably the best combat reserve force for the United States to tackle the full spectrum of challenges facing the country in times of peace, crisis and war.
ARG / MEU have a range of capabilities needed to address regional instability, respond to emerging threats, provide humanitarian support, and, in the event of conflict, to deliver powerful air and ground strikes. With continued purchases of LHA and LPD-17, the force will provide vital support to US national security and defense policy for decades to come.
The development perspective is clear: the projection of force into certain areas is possible not only with the help of strike forces led by aircraft carriers. Spot, dosed application is possible with ARG / MEU and amphibious assault ships.
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