Gen. David Berger, commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, outlined his plans for advancing the transformation of the service branch’s force structure by 2030, Seapower Magazine reported Thursday.
The Force Design 2030 report seeks to shift the Marine Corps’ focus from countering violent extremism in the Middle East to peer-level competition in the Indo-Pacific region in accordance with the National Defense Strategy.
“As a consequence, we must transform our traditional models for organizing, training, and equipping the force to meet new desired ends, and do so in full partnership with the Navy,” Berger wrote in the report.
He said the Marine Corps “must pursue transformational capabilities that will provide naval fleets and joint force commanders with a competitive advantage in the gray zone and during contingency.”
For its objective force, the service plans to increase the number of its rocket artillery batteries from seven to 21 and add three more light armored reconnaissance companies. The Marine Corps also intends to raise the number of its active component unmanned aerial vehicle squadrons to six and active component aerial refuel transport squadrons to four.
Berger also mentioned his plans to divest tanks, heavy helicopter squadrons, two light attack helicopter squadrons and three infantry battalions, among others.
