Marines' future: Fewer tanks, more resilient IT -- GCN

On a march to a network- and cloud-centric future that likely features a flat budget, the Marine Corps plans to leave behind some of its legacy weapons systems and accept the risks that come with developing technologies, according to Ken Bible, the Marines’ deputy CIO.

"We're trading artillery and cannons and tanks in order to get after command and control modernization, electronic warfare, alternatives for positioning, navigation and timing, long range fires," Bible said during a recent virtual AFCEA NOVA event.

"Some traditional systems probably will not get funded. There will be things that we will give up … things like the amphibious assault vehicle, even some of the vertical lift pieces," he said.

That pivot means taking "near-term risk" to get future-proof information technologies that can survive and perform tasks like data analytics uninterrupted in remote, contested environments.

The Marine Corps released its 2030 force design in March. The report called for smaller units widely deployed in large areas and more unmanned systems along with the need for better electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. The future force will also rely on a "federated system of networks to ensure all elements can fight in a degraded command and control environment."