USMC must transform to compete with China
The US Marine Corps has a long and storied history in the Pacific, but the rise of China’s military is forcing the corps to either react dramatically or risk irrelevancy in the Asia-Pacific region.
In World War II, the USMC fought bitter engagements across numerous atolls and islands as part of the Pacific campaign. Indeed, names such as Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Guam, Peleliu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa are forever written in blood in corps lore.
Yet those bloody assaults across bullet-lashed beaches are consigned to history for the USMC. New weapons such as cruise missiles, long-range anti-ship missiles, guided
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Defence Notes
-
![US, Canada advance with over-the-horizon radar programmes to close NORAD surveillance gaps]()
US, Canada advance with over-the-horizon radar programmes to close NORAD surveillance gaps
Washington and Ottawa’s Arctic and homeland radar initiatives aim to strengthen early warning against cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons and long-range aerospace threats approaching North America.
-
![The speed of relevance: how companies can navigate the new era of European defence procurement]()
The speed of relevance: how companies can navigate the new era of European defence procurement
European militaries face a rapidly evolving security landscape and defence production must accelerate to meet surging demand for platforms and equipment. Industry needs to adapt to ensure it gets its products into the hands of the end user, Evelyn Rafferty, Senior Director Aerospace and Defence - Europe at Plexus told Shephard’s Gerrard Cowan.
-
![Eurosatory 2026 to highlight changing defence and security priorities]()
Eurosatory 2026 to highlight changing defence and security priorities
Eurosatory 2026 will reflect a defence and security sector shaped by conflict, rising government spending, uncrewed systems, multidomain networks and growing demand for sovereign capabilities.
-
![Delays, departures and drama cloud UK defence programmes ahead of absent DIP]()
Delays, departures and drama cloud UK defence programmes ahead of absent DIP
The UK defence secretary’s departure suggests that the long-delayed Defence Investment Plan is unlikely to meet the funding demands of the armed forces, with consequences for procurement and the UK’s standing at a NATO summit weeks away.
-
![Agile, sovereign, edge-ready: rewiring defence IT for a contested decade]()
Agile, sovereign, edge-ready: rewiring defence IT for a contested decade
Today's rapidly changing security landscape means that armed forces can no longer treat their data in the same way as in the past. What are the key challenges they face, and how can industry help them?
