Will the U.S. Marine Corps Require a Main Battle Tank in the Twenty- First Century

摘要

The main battle tank has revolutionized modern warfare since World War I by strengthening land forces' ability to conduct violent, offensive operations. Today, the tank serves the Marine Corps in a variety of ways at all three levels of warfare: strategic, operational, and tactical. Will the Marine Corps of the 21st century require a main battle tank. This paper attempts to answer that question. It will determine whether the requirement for tanks in the Marine Corps still exists by first defining what a tank is in terms of capabilities. It then describes the context of the future strategic environment and the National Military Strategy (NMS) that has been devised to cope with that environment. The Marine Corps of tomorrow must retain the capabilities currently found in the main battle tank. Moreover, the 'tank' of the future, or 'future combat system,' will require even more capabilities than today's main battle tank. Survivability, lethality, mobility, shock, strategic agility, and the ability to deploy infantry, fire indirect weapons systems, fire precision- guided projectiles, operate in an urban environment, and be multi-variant are some of those critical requirements. The U.S. Army seems directed in two areas, the Future Scout Vehicle (FSV) and the heavier Future Combat System (FCS). Unfortunately, neither will fulfill the Marine Corps' future requirements. The Marine Corps can ill afford an Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAAV), a Light Armored Vehicle (LAV), and an M1A1 main battle tank. The Marine Corps must refocus the AAAV program and develop its own multi-faceted FCS to replace the existing three armored vehicles currently in its inventory. By leveraging Army FSV and FCS technology, redirecting AAAV program efforts, and directing the LAV, AAV, and tank communities to modify doctrine, equipment logistics, and deployment techniques, the Marine Corps can successfully affect its transformation into the 21st century.