The US Marine Corps is in the process of re-orienting itself toward operations in support of the Navy in a conflict in the Pacific against a peer or near-peer opponent. The programme, Force Design 2030, has as its primary operational objective building "a light, self-reliant, highly mobile naval expeditionary force postured forward in littoral areas within the adversary's weapons engagement zone [where it will provide] a landward complement to Navy capabilities for surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, air and missile defense, and airborne early warning." A key element in accomplishing this is the forming of the Marine Littoral Regiments (MLR). These units, or elements of them, will be inserted by air or sea to exercise control of the surrounding areas, denying their use to an opponent.
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