USMC To Return to a 3.0 ARG MEU
The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) is returning to a 3.0 amphibious ready group/marine expeditionary unit (ARG MEU) presence, said Gen. Eric Smith, the 39th USMC commandant.
“That means one ARG MEU constantly deployed off the East Coast, one constantly deployed off the West Coast, and the 31st MEU episodically deployed out of Okinawa, Japan, setting the theater, accelerating modernization and lethality, and building and sustaining a lethal force, meaning people,” Smith said on the final day of the annual Modern Day Marine conference in Washington, D.C.
The Pentagon and the U.S. Navy are in full support of the USMC permanently returning to a 3.0 ARG MEU presence, the general said.
“This is our number one priority, and it remains my personal north star as a commandant,” Smith stressed, also stating that 31 amphibious ships are not sufficient to meet his goal.
Therefore, his team is pursuing three lines of effort to increase the USMC amphibious force.
- The USMC is optimizing maintenance schedules and force-generation models to enhance the use of already existing ships.
- Targeted investments and service life extensions are being made to keep the current fleet ready and relevant for an extended period of time. Additionally, some ships will be decommissioned.
- The fleet is moving forward to procure newer ships to solidify the defense industrial base of the shipbuilding industry.
“The president’s budget for fiscal year 2027 represents a significant and welcome down payment on this effort,” Smith stated.
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