The Marines are weighing whether to have members hitch a ride on
foreign warships, citing a shortage of U.S. Navy vessels due to recent
budget cuts -- raising bipartisan security concerns about the leverage
this could give other countries.
A key concern is whether a warship from a host nation could deny Marines permission to come ashore.
"Ceding our amphibious ships to other countries -- it's almost silly
and I can't believe it is even an option for the Navy," said Rep. Duncan
Hunter, R-Calif., who served as a Marine in Iraq. "Now we are going to
have to ask other countries, much less financially stable countries than
America, to loan us their ships so that we can base our Marines on
their ships. It's almost embarrassing."
The Navy currently has 30 amphibious transport ships to carry
Marines, but estimates it would need 38 to cope with rising crises
across North Africa. It won't reach that number until 2028 under current
budget constraints.
"We are a maritime nation, and we communicate across the world
through our sea services, and ... the size of the Navy right now is way
too low," said former Sen. Jim Webb, a Democrat who is weighing a
presidential run. Webb was a decorated Marine infantry officer in
Vietnam and was appointed Navy secretary under President Ronald Reagan.
"It was 568 ships when I resigned as Secretary of the Navy. It's down to about 280 right now," he said.
Since 1775, the U.S. Marine Corps has prided itself on being a
self-reliant expeditionary force from the sea. Currently, there are
thousands of Marines deployed on U.S. warships around the world who are
ready to go ashore at a moment's notice.
In recent years, there have been situations -- like the attack on the
U.S. consulate in Benghazi -- that made clear that quick reaction
forces were not close enough to be able to help. In the wake of
Benghazi, the Marines set up a land-based hub in Rota, Spain, but even
that is thought to be too far from certain sites in North Africa.
"We don't know when a crisis will come, or where it will occur, but
an initiative that increases the interoperability of maritime forces
will prove of enormous benefit in the years to come," Lt. Col. Gregory
P. DeMarco, Marine Forces regional planner for Europe and Africa, said
in a statement defending the latest proposal.
The current plan would place about 100 Marines onboard allied warships, along with three or four Osprey tilt rotor aircraft.
No decision has yet been made by the Marines, who are currently considering the proposal.
This is a no brainier...... OH HELL NO !!!!!
Thank you to our Liberal Socialist Government for screwing us over in each and every way of our lives.
Next thing that that idiot in DC will do is let ISIS into our country....Oh wait he did as illegals in through Mexico..........
Remain Vigilant the crap will hit the fan real soon.
6 comments:
This concept 'might' work, provided that the ships are from extremely friendly host nations who are working toward the same objectives as the Marines. Most likely though they would charge us an extremely high 'taxi fee' for ferrying them around. Hmm, maybe uber or lyft can provide this service.................
I have been saying for years that the real enemy to the USA is our own US CONgress (the worlds largest terrorist cell) as they do everything they can to destroy us from within. Send them all to GITMO!
Their just blowin smoke. Using this as a scare tactic to try and get more funds. They are actually mixing types of deployment between rapid and a wartime footing. Not to say our current leadership aren't idiots and spending money where they shouldn't of course but that doesn't mean the Marines or any other force needs constant rapid deployment transportation either all the time available.
All branches of the military are wasting just as much resources on silliness as the government. Some by decree and some because they are playing the game just the same. If they want better transportation available at all times then maybe they need to cut out some of the silly Affirmative Action type programs they are paying for.
"Taxi fee" like we are paying the Russians to bring our folks to ISS. Govt waste at its best
I understand they want high tech, but that costs money, What ever happened to our large military might?? Oh yea that word budget cuts...idiots.
Why don't they use use all the AF transports..78 C-5's and the 222 C-17. They land at nearest air base. I hope we can get someone elected who has some balls instead of all the limp wrist liberal cry babies we have now.
Post a Comment