The Marines are shedding the ability to fight large-scale conventional land warfare to directly support the Navy. But Congress won't fund the shift?
Lawmakers' decision to cut millions from the Marine Corps' budget earmarked to allow leathernecks to fire anti-ship missiles from land is hurting the U.S. military's ability to deter China, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said Wednesday.
Marines need funding for powerful Navy weapons they can use to target Chinese ships, Adm. Phil Davidson told members of the House Armed Services Committee. That includes the Maritime Strike Tomahawk, he said, and extended-range SM-6 missile.
The Marine Corps requested $125 million in 2021 to buy nearly 50 Tomahawk missiles the service could launch from land. Congress ultimately did not fund the move.
The Marines decided to get rid of their tanks and are shedding other equipment and units to reorganize and directly support the fleet in the face of Chinese naval power increases.
But the Marines won't get the weapons that they need to finish the process begun by discarding capabilities? Weapons the Chinese are already building?
What are the Marines supposed to do without the weapons to take on the new role? Polish their bayonets?
