home Security Maritime Security New Littoral Unit for US Marine Corps

New Littoral Unit for US Marine Corps

Mar 12, 2022

PHoto illus. warfighters by US Navy — 120628-O-ZZ999-011 MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII (June 28, 2012) New Zealand Army soldiers from Alpha Company clear buildings as part of the Military Operations Urban Training (MOUT). Alpha Company is hosted by the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2012 exercise. Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC exercise from Jun. 29 to Aug. 3, in and around the Hawaiian Islands. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2012 is the 23rd exercise in the series that began in 1971. (New Zealand Defense Force photo by LAC Amanda McErlich/Released)

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US Marine Corps announced earlier this month the formation of a new Coast Guard division, which could worry U.S. enemies. Located on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, the new 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment was built around the existing 3rd Marine Regiment.

The new unit is designed to become the flagship that leads combat in the post-global war on terrorism, whose planning and design was developed following thousands of hours of war games.

According to defensenews.com, the new unit will consist of three components: a littoral combat team, including one infantry battalion and one missile battery (capable of sinking ships); a littoral anti-air battalion; and a combat logistics battalion. As needed, the littoral combat team can deploy in platoon elements of up to 100 Marines.

These teams will be used by the Marine Corps to build or occupy advanced bases during future battles. The soldiers in this unit will be able to launch cyber attacks, identify targets, and even sink or destroy large enemy vessels.

As part of Force Design 2030, the Marine Corps has been experimenting with various formations and tactics for the past two years. While the program in question wasn’t widely publicized, it was developed by Marines through simulations and field exercises that allowed them to gain a better understanding of enemy capabilities.