Russians have superior artillery firepower, better combat vehicles....is the USMC's Strategic Initiatives Group paying attention???

via War News Updates from Defense One

When Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster briefs, it’s like Gen. Patton giving a TED talk — a domineering physical presence with bristling intellectual intensity.
These days, the charismatic director of the Army’s Capabilities Integration Center is knee-deep in a project called The Russia New Generation Warfare study, an analysis of how Russia is re-inventing land warfare in the mud of Eastern Ukraine. Speaking recently at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., McMaster said that the two-year-old conflict had revealed that the Russians have superior artillery firepower, better combat vehicles, and have learned sophisticated use of UAVs for tactical effect. Should U.S. forces find themselves in a land war with Russia, he said, they would be in for a rude, cold awakening.
“We spend a long time talking about winning long-range missile duels,” said McMaster. But long-range missiles only get you through the front door. The question then becomes what will you do when you get there.

Well no shit.

This is what infuriates me about current Marine Corps procurement.  We're getting a good look at Russian hybrid warfare in Ukraine and air power has been effectively nullified.

You think that's bad?  Hold on...it gets worse.  From the same article...

“We’re out-ranged by a lot of these systems and they employ improved conventional munitions, which we are going away from. There will be a 40- to 60-percent reduction in lethality in the systems that we have,” he said. “Remember that we already have fewer artillery systems. Now those fewer artillery systems will be less effective relative to the enemy. So we need to do something on that now.”

Towed M-777 and 120mm mortars are weak sauce against self propelled guns. The Marine Corps has been so focused on its aviation house that its neglecting ground combat.  We so need a Deputy Commandant for the Ground Combat Element...and we need someone to walk into the next meeting of the Strategic Initiatives Group and drop kick a bunch of LtCols and get them focused on the next fight instead of simply pushing forward with concepts that no longer fit the changing battlefield.

Side note.  What exactly is the Army getting at?  Check this out...

“When an Army fires unit arrives somewhere, it should be able to do surface-to-air, surface-to-surface, and shore-to-ship capabilities. We are developing that now and there are some really promising capabilities,” he said.

If this is fully realized then the Army will use missile fire in such a way as to almost negate the need for having their own "air force".  The goal is to defend against air attack, surface to surface (this is the biggee in my eyes...with ATACMS/long range MLRS you're looking at the possibility of not need interdiction strikes by USAF/USN/USMC aircraft) and the ability to conduct anti-ship strikes?  I wonder what his real goal is...what will his ultimate force look like?