Marine Commandant Warns U.S. Lacking in Key Capability for War with China
Story by Tom O'Connor • Thursday
The highest-ranking member of the U.S. Marine Corps has told Newsweek that his forces are lacking in a key capability that could prove critical in deterring a conflict with China or in successfully waging one should such a war erupt in the Pacific.
"The People's Republic of China is the only competitor capable of combining its economic, diplomatic, and technological power to challenge the stable and open international system that we enjoy," General David Berger, Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, told Newsweek.
"The ultimate goal is to prevent conflict and manage crisis in the region," he added, "and amphibious capability is critical to that goal."
Amphibious capability refers to ships tasked with carrying ground support forces such as Marine Expeditionary Units (MEU) and their vehicles across sea to land. This role is crucial in the context of the Pacific, but Berger and other senior Marines say their state of readiness has fallen to its lowest level in recent years, down to 35 percent of what was needed to mount three Amphibious Readiness Groups (ARG) at all times.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/marine-commandant-warns-us-lacking-in-key-capability-for-war-with-china/ar-AA19g0JV
