The Combined Armor Regiment: The Future of USMC Armor?

The unique force structure of the United States Marine Corps represents one of the most versatile and operationally agile tools available to the nation's defense. Although the concept for the future of the Marine Corps' armored forces, beyond 2025, is yet unclear to the institution, it could be greatly enhanced by reorganizing its armored vehicle and engineer units into several Combined Armor Regiments. The introduction of the Combined Armor Regiment would ensure the Marine Corps is capable of answering the nation's call when an expeditionary armored force is needed to fight and win future armed contingencies involving major combat operations. The future armored ground combat vehicle(s) of the U.S. Marine Corps will be lightweight, lethal and survivable, combining strategic mobility and tactical agility to out maneuver and out gun any adversary. In order to match the capabilities of the future vehicle with the flexibility of its employment, it is vital that the U.S. Marine Corps streamline its force in a commensurate fashion.