Compass Points - Return on Lethality
How much bang for the buck?
February 15, 2025
Marine Corps Compass Points
Broader Thinking, Deeper Understanding, and Better Decisions, for a Stronger Marine Corps
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In his very first Message to the Force, Defense Secretary made a list of things he wanted to focus on. The very first one was, 'lethality.'
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All of this will be done with a focus on lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards, and readiness.
-- Defense Secretary Hegseth
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In some ways lethality is a step above readiness. Readiness asks are current units and equipped ready, but lethality asks are the current units and equipment the right ones to be overwhelmingly deadly? Author T. J. Holland advocates for new ways to measure lethality.
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Current metrics and reporting systems fall short of assessing this vital aspect. Unlike readiness, lethality encompasses a more abstract and multifaceted array of factors.
. . . Lethality is often thought of as the capability and capacity to effectively neutralize or destroy an enemy target, a critical component of combat effectiveness.2 More importantly, it refers to a unit’s ability to defeat adversaries and achieve mission objectives. It encompasses various factors like the capability of weapons, tactics, training, and the overall soldier readiness. Lethality is enabled by formations maneuvering into positions of relative advantage where they can employ weapon systems and mass effects to destroy enemy forces or place them at risk of destruction. According to Field Manual 3-0, Operations, “The speed, range, and accuracy of weapon systems employed by a formation enhance its lethality.”3 In simple terms, it’s about how well a unit can carry out its mission and neutralize threats during combat.
-- Military Review
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More simply, in Field Manual (FM) 3-0, Operations (Washington, DC: U.S. GPO, October 2022), Glossary-9, the Army defines lethality as “the capability and capacity to destroy.”
One example of increasing lethality could be the recent announcement by the Navy. The Navy has successfully fired a HELIOS laser weapon onboard the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Preble and successfully destroyed an aerial drone. Now, researchers at the Naval Post Graduate School are finding ways to use AI to speed up the targeting and firing of laser weapons. Even hypersonic missiles cannot fly faster than laser light.
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-return-on-lethality
