Despite Force Redesign, The Marine Corps Says It Still Needs Its Big Amphibious Warships. In...

The U.S. Marine Corps is in the midst of a major force redesign aimed at making it more relevant to the rising military challenge posed by China in the Pacific.

The new approach, which was first signaled by Commandant David H. Berger in his June 2019 planning guidance, envisions shifting to a more mobile, island-hopping posture within range of Chinese weapons as a way of keeping Beijing off balance in a war.

Using a new class of light amphibious warships, Marine units would move unpredictably from island to island off the Chinese coast, applying sophisticated reconnaissance and munitions to attack hostile targets (including shipping).