Gen. Eric Smith, U.S. Marine Corps commandant, has released the service’s 2025 Force Design Update geared to advance major USMC modernization efforts to stay ahead of evolving threats and maintain its combat edge.
Logistics Modernization Thrust
Accelerating logistics modernization is one of the update’s focus areas, including the development of a data-driven advanced logistics analytics platform that fuses operations, intelligence and sustainment information. This should deliver faster, more precise logistics in degraded environments.
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The update also discusses a global positioning network across the Indo-Pacific for logistics resiliency and lesser reliance on long supply chains. In addition, the USMC is advancing programs for tapping autonomous technologies in logistics distribution.
The service’s initiatives for the goal include the Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel, the Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System and the Medium Aerial Resupply Vehicle–Expeditionary Logistics, all with support from an Aerial Logistics Connector for wider coverage.
In March 2024, Gen. Christopher Mahoney, USMC assistant commandant, disclosed that the the service is looking into a medium landing ship for “shore-to-shore logistics connect.” Another earlier logistics effort involved the Marine Corps Systems Command and Program Executive Officer Land Systems ramping up acquisition of next-generation technologies for naval expeditionary warfare through Force Design 2030.
The 2025 Force Design Update outlines how the service is adapting its forces to remain a globally responsive, naval expeditionary force capable of operating across multiple domains, the USMC said Thursday.
“Force Design is the Marine Corps’ strategic priority, and this update makes clear both our progress and our direction,” said Gen. Smith. “We have strengthened formations, fielded new capabilities and refined our concepts, but modernization remains a continuous campaign of learning and adaptation.”
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