A day without Heavy Armor. Could the MEU survive???

Just a heads up.

Later today I'm going to expand on a discussion that me and B. Smitty have been having on heavy armor and the Marine Corps.

B. Smitty is a heavy armor advocate and I'm just not so sure.

Want to know what Infantry...what USMC Infantry fears (we're talking conventional warfare...not an insurgency)?  Its not tanks...modern Infantry can handle tanks...what modern infantry fears is artillery fire.

With that in mind I penned an article stating that the BAE CV90120 should be the Marines next MBT.

But barring that a few other items come to mind....if we can't get the CV90120, then how about the turret from the Stryker MGS mounted to a Marine Corps vehicle...say the MPC or even the AAV?

If that proves a non-starter then perhaps its time to make a Marine Corps Aviation, secondary mission, a primary one...anti-armor support...AH-1Z's and UH-1Y's can handle the work...if they're swamped then the AV-8B and future F-35 along with F/A-18's can mix it up here too...

And last but certainly not least, Marine artillery could help fill the gaps.  But the point is this...what we need worry about is not tank on tank warfare but direct fire support for the Infantry.  My contention remains that the M1 is just too heavy to provide that support in the MEU and larger units as we're currently comprised.

Give the mission (if its ever required) to an Army detachment assigned to the Marines and find a smaller lighter vehicle to get it done.