Fighting with Fires: The Future of Marine Corps Artillery
Abstract
Should the Marine Corps consider a rocket system to provide the capabilities to shore up current fire support needs and meet the requirements evolving from Sea Dragon for future warfare? During the late 1980s and early 1990s, end-strength reductions required a revised force structure. But the new organizational structure resulted in an imbalance in artillery support capability that was further challenged by the cancellation of the planned acquisition of a battalion of multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS). Indirect fire support levels are now below that originally planned for the much smaller 159,100-Marine force. Marine Corps fire support should be based on a balanced force of air, sea, and ground systems. The reactionary structuring process, based on weak doctrine and shallow studies, fails to provide a unified and balanced approach to procurement decisions. The current threat is both internal and external, and its vagueness requires a capabilities approach to force development that ensures the flexibility to operate across the full spectrum of conflict. The division commander currently does not have the organic capability to rapidly weight the battle with all-weather, heavy fires. The current Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Army is not an acceptable long-term fire support solution, although it can provide the Marine Corps the time it needs to implement the results of the QDR and design a balanced fire support structure that will blend with the future vision of warfare. Rockets provide an overwhelming increase in firepower with reduced manpower in a cost-efficient, rapidly deployable framework, and rocket technology can provide the bridge from current requirements to the future battlefield.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA529395
Entities
People
- John E. Shook
Organizations
- Marine Corps University