Tanks for the Memories: USMC (proposed) Changes

[Zachowon]

The Marines want to get rid of their tanks. Here’s why.

“We have sufficient evidence to conclude that this capability [tanks], despite its long and honorable history in the wars of the past, is operationally unsuitable for our highest-priority challenges in the future,” the report said about the divestment of Marine tanks.

www.marinecorpstimes.com

Yeah apparently they want you Army people to provide the tanks from now on. You're welcome.

Well of course. It is an Army staple to have heavy armor. Bradley's, Abrams, Strykers, artillery.
Basically what this is doing is making the Army the do everything on land brance again and making the marines the marines.

 

[Sailor.X]

The Marines want to get rid of their tanks. Here’s why.

“We have sufficient evidence to conclude that this capability [tanks], despite its long and honorable history in the wars of the past, is operationally unsuitable for our highest-priority challenges in the future,” the report said about the divestment of Marine tanks.

www.marinecorpstimes.com

Yeah apparently they want you Army people to provide the tanks from now on. You're welcome.

I am willing to bet it is less the Marine Corps and more just the Commandant of the Marine Corps. It would not be the first time the top guy had a stupid idea.

 

[Iconoclast]

I heard it theorized that this is USMC anticipating budget cuts in the future, and wanting to rebrand themselves away from the second army role they've kinda been playing for the recent years. This leads to them tying themselves more tightly back into the Navy and make themselves a more amphibious force again in their traditional take over islands and beachhead roles as light infantry. This is to prevent anyone in the political scene having any ground to fuse USMC into the Army as the USMC rebrands themselves away from the second land army role the circumstances have forced them to act as. Especially in the Middle-East.

I see where they're coming from. I'm a little disappointed, because USMC tankers are badasses, but it's kinda hard to move great big main battle tanks for rapid operations in littoral and riverine environments. Tanks still do have an important role in direct fire support, but they are difficult to protect in the opening stages of a ground operation where air dominance and counter-drone protection cannot be assured. The US has enjoyed the advantage of dominating the airspace completely in recent counter-insurgency operations, which makes tanks a lot less vulnerable. Certain ways of mitigating this disadvantage include fitting tanks with state-of-the-art APS systems, but that's expensive.