https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a31915295/marine-corps-tanks/
I don't think I need to spell out the inherent high level risks and dangers, with little to no reward, in this decision, but the first link does a pretty good job at explaining why this is bad. Very, very bad.
One of the reasons listed by the Commandant, is to move the Corps to a more "Naval based" fighting force. One that can use squads anywhere from 75 Marines (avg MC platoon size) to small squads of 4-6 (avg fire team) placed "strategically" along larger distances, and that will be able to "assist" the Navy with taking out enemy vessels in ports.
Now, I can tell you first hand, that the Navy doesn't need help with s curing ports, attacking en my vessels in port, and I hat we ALREADY use both Marin s AND Coast Guard Interdiction Teams, AS WELL as the SeALs/EOD/SWCC crews to board and secure enemy vessels at sea.
Attacking and securing enemy ports and vessels is what the UDT, and later, the splitting up of those duties into th SeAL, EOD, and SWCC teams was for. We can also accomplish this at sea. I know, b cause I trained for it and went on ops, in ports and at sea, as an EOD team member.
We use the MC to help when the task is larger than our capabilities, but that's usually restricted to the invasion/infiltration of medium/large to large size ports and enemy naval bases. Case in point: when we invaded Panama, we used our SeALs, EOD, and Marines to invade from the sea, neutralized their patrol vessels, and secured their ports and naval base to prevent Noriega from escaping via water. It's a time tested and the most efficient way to neutralize a port zone.
HOWEVER, the Marine Corps is not primarily used as a "special warfare" type force like that Naval Special Warfare units are. They are our MAIN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, and SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED for land incursions from open ocean, through the Littoral Zone, and onto a beach. This CANNOT be accomplished WITHOUT FIRST securing the beach head. The beach head CANNOT be secured properly without artillery.
What is the M1-A1 Abraham's Main Battle Tank? It is first and foremost, a MOBILE, AMPHIBIOUS, ARTILLERY PLATFORM!! It is high speed in water, and even higher speed on land, capable of 30 kts and 65-70 mph on land, respectively.
Where are most cities located in this world? Near WATER!!! The USMC is also our main Pacific Theater Combat Force. Where are most Asian and Pacific Island cities and mega-cities located? NEAR WATER!!!
It is a statistical impossibility for ANY attacking force to fully secure, or even effectively win engagements inside a city WITHOUT a mechanized, artillery based platform like a tank.
This will only end in disaster for us. Which surprises me that ithe decision and initial plans were decided and carried out last year when Trump was still occupying the WH.
This was the Commandant's decision, after that AAV sank last year. A Commandant that was approved by Trump. I'm not saying this is Trump's fault, because I believe he hired this sucka to help show what bad leadership really looks like, but, DAMN!! C'MON, MAN!!! This can only end badly if we end up having to retake Pacific Islands in the likely event China/CCP starts securing Asia at the beginning WWII.
What? Do you REALLY think we don't end this Luciferian, NWO cult Cabal WITHOUT [them] dragging us into another world war??
That would be stupid. The Marines are the ones that actually need them. They're more of an attack force than the Army. Almost every campaign we've ever done it's been spearheaded by the Marines. That's for real fishy.
These days, it's all about drones and precision battlefield missiles, satellite surveillance and drone reconnaissance.
Tanks are great for what they do, but against a modern enemy, a tank is a rolling target that would have difficulty getting into range before it's destroyed.
Mini unmanned tanks (drone tanks) are the latest thing, and they are cheaper and virtually unstoppable.
If you look at lots of reports on nagorno karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan was using drones to great effect against Armenia. So in that sense tanks are a bit like sitting ducks
Though more active protection systems APS are being developed that will help defeat incoming drones etc.
The commandant admits that tanks may be needed by marines.
If the marines may need them, then the fucking marines should have them in their arsenal! This is just more communist erosion of the military.
You need both. A properly outfitted tank is always a plus on your battlefield. They can carry a lot of weight, ie firepower. Properly configured anti-drone tank would be an especially great addition. A radio scrambler would be great for nullifying fleets of remote control devices. A tank can carry a really big one. Bigger than any other ground based mobile platform that can go eighty miles an hour if you really need it to. It’s not replaceable.
I agree. Also, people do not understand that a tank does not operate on its own or only in numbers. It is organically connected to teams of infantry that look out for any threats (RPGs, drones) and neutralize them. The tank neutralizes threats to the infantry.
And there is aerial backup in the form of attack aircraft. You can't fight the battle in isolation.
Apologies for the typos. I'm on vacation and phonefagging, atm
Yeah, this was a crazy short sited decision.
Where we're going, we might not need tanks.
Let's face it, if aliens do exist, with UFOs, the name of the game is gonna be air combat and underwater combat.
Tanks might be obsolete in the coming years.
The same way they did in WWII.
History. Read it.