U.S. national security requires three deployed ARG/MEUs, Marine Corps commandant argues in Defense One . That’s Amphibious Ready Groups and Marine Expeditionary Units , like the one built around the amphibious assault ship Iwo Jima that has been sailing in the Caribbean since August.

Once the United States could keep three such groups at sea, ready to respond to conflict or other need, Gen. Eric Smith writes . “But as the nation focused on extended land campaigns in the Middle East, the amphibious fleet was deprioritized. By 1997, that number had dropped to 40, and by 2016 it stood at just 31. Today the amphibious fleet has 32 ships whose average readiness hovers around 45 percent . Shipyards are strained, timelines are slipping , and hulls are aging faster than we can

See Full Page