The U.S. Marine Corps: Now An Access-Denial Force to Fight China? via Real Clear Defense

 via RCD

This week Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the U.S. Marine Corps intends to found a Marine Littoral Regiment capable of island-hopping along Japan’s Ryukyus chain, which arcs from the southernmost home island of Kyushu, through Okinawa at the chain’s midpoint, almost to within sight of northern Taiwan. Small sensor- and missile-equipped detachments will comprise the new regiment, helping it scout out hostile naval and air forces and pummel them should they draw near.

The Marine Littoral Regiment constitutes part of Force Design 2030, Commandant David Berger’s concept for partly reconfiguring the Marine Corps as an access-denial force. Under the concept marines will fan out among the southwestern islands in concert with U.S. sea and air forces and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Expeditionary units drawn from the regiment will “stand in,” defying China’s anti-access arsenal, rather than stand off for the sake of force protection.

Here 

So more proof that the Marine Corps is becoming a HYPER SPECIALIZED force.  Not amphibious assault experts that can flex up and down the spectrum of warfare but a specialized force that is built only to ATTEMPT to deter China in the first island chain.

Specialization is for insects.