State of Defense 2025 Operating in the Littorals Panel

The "State of Defense 2025" series, hosted by Defense One, explores how each U.S. military service branch is adapting to rapidly shifting environments, addressing emerging threats, technologies, and tactical decisions shaping priorities in 2025. The series features discussions with senior leaders from the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Space Force, providing exclusive insights into the future of U.S. national defense.

The U.S. Marine Corps is undergoing a profound transformation to enhance its capabilities in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the littoral zone, as outlined in a recent Defense One discussion titled "Operating in the Littorals " Hosted by Managing Editor Jennifer Ladd, the conversation featured Lieutenant General Roger Turner, Commander of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force (3MEF), and Major General Christian Wortman, Commander of the 3rd Marine Division, who detailed the Corps’ modernization efforts amid rising tensions with China. While the Marines are making strides in force design, amphibious readiness, and partnerships, persistent challenges—such as amphibious ship availability and logistical constraints—threaten their readiness. nGAP’s Open Acquisition System (OAS) could offer a transformative solution to these issues, streamlining procurement and fostering innovation to meet the Corps’ evolving needs.

Modernization and the China Threat

The Marine Corps’ multi-year modernization initiative, spurred by Force Design 2030, aims to prepare for potential conflicts with China by 2027—a timeline set by the Chinese Communist Party for military readiness to reunify Taiwan, as Lt. Gen. Turner noted: “This is not our formulation... it’s a formulation of the Chinese Communist Party.” The discussion highlighted the creation of Marine Littoral Regiments (MLRs), such as the 3rd and 12th MLRs, equipped with advanced systems like the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (Nemesis) and Marine Air Defense Integrated System (Mattis). These capabilities enable the Corps to project power across air, maritime, and land domains, a shift from its traditional sea-to-land focus.

However, the rapid pace of modernization strains acquisition processes. Maj. Gen. Wortman emphasized the urgency: “Our imperative is to be ready today... whether it’s a crisis initiated by the PRC, on the Korean Peninsula, or something that naturally occurs.” nGAP’s OAS could accelerate this effort by providing a flexible, transparent procurement framework. By leveraging modular, open-system architectures, OAS allows for rapid integration of cutting-edge technologies—like Nemesis, which delivers maritime strike capabilities—reducing delays inherent in traditional acquisition cycles and ensuring the Corps stay ahead of adversaries.

Amphibious Ship Availability: A Persistent Bottleneck

A recurring concern raised by Lt. Gen. Turner was the insufficient capacity and readiness of amphibious ships, critical for projecting power in the littorals. He explained, “The capacity of the amphibious fleet and then the readiness of the amphibious fleet... have been a significant challenge for us over the last several years.” While the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) has seen success with Forward Deployed Naval Forces Japan, broader fleet sustainment issues limit the integration of additional MEUs from the West Coast, hampering campaigning efforts.

OAS could address this by streamlining ship maintenance and modernization contracts. Its open competition model encourages broader industry participation, potentially lowering costs and speeding up repairs. Furthermore, OAS’s emphasis on modular designs could facilitate the development of interim solutions, such as the Stern Landing Vessel currently under experimentation. Lt. Gen. Turner noted the vessels promise: “It’s been pretty exciting to see some of the capabilities that it has.” OAS could expedite the prototyping and scaling of such connectors, bridging the gap until the full fleet of 35 planned Landing Ship Mediums (LSMs) is realized.

Logistics in Contested Environments

Logistics emerged as another critical challenge, given the vast distances and austere conditions of the Pacific theater. Lt. Gen. Turner underscored its strategic importance: “It’s really a strategic logistics problem, operational and tactical logistics problem.” The Corps relies on maritime pre-positioning ships, amphibious warfare ships, and littoral craft, yet sustaining these under contested conditions—whether due to combat or severe weather—remains daunting.

OAS’s data-driven approach could optimize logistics by enabling real-time supply chain visibility and predictive maintenance for assets like the maritime pre-positioning fleet. By integrating commercial innovations—such as semi-submersibles also under testing—OAS could foster a “family of systems” solution, as Lt. Gen. Turner advocated, ensuring sustained operations in contested littorals. This adaptability is vital for maintaining the “tactical and operational dilemmas for potential adversaries” that 3MEF aims to create.

Enhancing Partnerships Through Agile Acquisition

The discussion emphasized the growing importance of partnerships with allies like Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea, driven by China’s aggressive actions. Lt. Gen. Turner highlighted the shift: “In the past, bilateral exercises were kind of a nice to do, I think they’re recognized as essential now.” Exercises like Iron Fist, now conducted in Japan rather than California, exemplify this deepened interoperability.

OAS could enhance these efforts by facilitating joint procurement and technology sharing. Its open framework allows allies to co-develop or adapt systems like the MLRs’ advanced sensors, which Maj. Gen. Wortman praised for “improving our ability to hold adversary assets at risk across domains.” This could strengthen bilateral kill chains and logistics, as Lt. Gen. Turner noted, amplifying deterrence through collective capability.

Preserving Core Strengths Amid Change

Despite modernization, the Corps remains anchored in its ethos of small-unit excellence and combined arms, as Maj. Gen. Wortman affirmed: “A lot has changed, but a lot remains foundational... built on high standards at every level.” OAS supports this by ensuring that new capabilities align with these strengths, delivering reliable, interoperable tools to small units like the 12th Littoral Combat Team, activated this week and carrying the legacy of 1st Battalion, 4th Marines.

Conclusion

The Marine Corps’ focus on littoral operations, deterrence, and readiness faces significant hurdles—amphibious ship shortages, logistical complexities, and the need for rapid innovation. nGAP’s Open Acquisition System offers a lifeline, enabling faster, more cost-effective procurement and fostering adaptable solutions tailored to the Indo-Pacific’s unique demands. As Lt. Gen. Turner concluded, the goal is to “keep the peace out here in the Western Pacific” while being “ready to pivot to conflict” if needed. With OAS, the Corps could turn its modernization vision into reality, ensuring it remains the nation’s expeditionary force in readiness—today and beyond 2027.

Works Cited

This article is based on insights from the State of Defense Panel, which was accessed via a paid ticket. For details on past State of Defense Panels, please reach out to govexec.events@govexec.com.