Berger signaling new cuts to the F-35 (definitely slicing this puppy), CH-53K (maybe plus ups...depends on cost) and JLTV (have no idea what the evil mutant is thinking with this one)...

 

via SeaPower

Berger added that in the current budget climate, the Corps will pay for its Force Design 2030 initiatives by retiring some legacy systems and shifting the savings to new programs. 

“We will self-fund our modernization,” he said. “To ensure the success of this approach, I will ask for your support in reducing the total procurement of some platforms commensurate with the recent reductions in our end-strength.  

“The fact is, our Marine Corps is significantly smaller than it was a decade ago, about 24,000 Marines smaller,” he said. “That means we won’t need as many ground vehicles; we won’t need as many aircraft as we thought we did when initial procurement decisions were made decades ago. With the reductions outlined in our Force Design report, I believe we will have sufficient resources to create the modern capabilities required for competition, deterrence and crisis response without a further reduction in our end-strength. 

“That approach, however, relies 100 percent on this committee’s confidence on allowing the Marine Corps to retain and reallocate the internal resources we generate through end-strength reductions, cutting legacy platforms and right-sizing programs of record for new capabilities like the F-35 [strike fighter], the CH-53K [heavy-lift helicopter] and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle,” he said.  

Story here 

I'm not sure about what the evil mutant is thinking on this one!

AKA...Berger MODOKLMC (Mobile Organism Designed Only for Killing the Legacy Marine Corps)

The F-35 is certainly on its way to being right sized down.  The maintenance just doesn't allow for the programmed buy.  That alone will eat up the Marine Corps budget.

Not sure about the CH-53K.  Like CoffeeJoeJava says (and he's banging the table on it too!), this whole thing is hanging on the string of logistics.  I personally don't think they're up to it.  Not even in a peacetime scenario much less full on combat.  If they can POSSIBLY make this thing work it means they're gonna need CH-53Ks.  Or do they?  If they can make the small robot boat thing work then surface resupply becomes possible.

Still hate the idea and many people don't know it but piracy is an issue in the Pacific region.  I can see more than a few opportunistic fishermen and full bore Jolly Roger flag flying idiots grabbing robot boats filled with supplies...that's not even counting the Chinese Navy/Coast Guard.

The JLTV?  I am lost in the woods on this one.  They're moving forward with Nemsis or whatever they call it.  A two shot launcher instead of following the lead of the Army and basing it off a FMTV chassis?  Don't make sense UNLESS he's pushing the recon thing of this even more than I thought.

An entire service devoted to recon when you can do better with a constellation of sats flying overhead?  Makes no sense but there you have it.

I'm guessing he might buy more JLTVs.

Off topic but it needs to be addressed.  They're sitting pretty with recruiting because they're cutting.  But in the future when you need warm bodies how do you sell this new Marine Corps?

What the fuck is it?  If you sell the glorious past then you're lying about what new recruits will walk into.  If you try and sell what its going to be then no one will want to join.  Better the Army if you want to be a trigger puller.  Better to be an Airman or Sailor if you want to launch missiles.

How the fuck do you sell the New Missile Marine Corps to potential recruits? What the fuck is it?  How do you make the case if you don't sell a past that is no longer part of its future?