Force Design 2030
a visual breakdown of the U.S. Marine Corps' 10-year modernization initiative
“We should take pride in our force and recent operational successes, but the current force is not organized, trained, or equipped to support the naval force – operating in contested maritime spaces, facilitating sea control, or executing distributed maritime operations. We must change.”
General David H. Berger, 38th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps
In March 2020, the Commandant published Force Design 2030 (FD 2030): a 10-year modernization initiative that outlines how the U.S. Marine Corps will adapt, remain relevant, and out maneuver our adversaries.1
Force Design states that current and future threats call for a significantly more capable force with new operating concepts. Such a profound shift in missions requires substantial adjustments in how the U.S. Marine Corps is organized, trained, and equipped.
Littoral: of, relating to, or situated or growing on or near a shore, especially of the sea; coastal region2
Force Design outlines how the future force will align with the National Defense Strategy (NDS). Note that FD 2030 was published in 2020, but close collaboration with the Office of the Secretary of Defense allowed the U.S. Marine Corps to anticipate the demands of the forthcoming 2022 NDS.3
You can view my whiteboard breakdown of the 2022 NDS here.
Because FD 2030 is informed by threat developments and technology advancements, the Force Design Annual Update published in May 2022 acknowledged the tenets of the updated defense strategy.
“We will need to conduct full-scale, empirically based experimentation of the future force in realistic maritime and littoral terrain. Our experimentation must be deliberate and iterative, informed by both threat developments and technology advancements.”
General David H. Berger, 38th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps
Force Design 2030 is threat informed, concept based, four-phase campaign of learning.
“We cannot accept or accede to recommendations for incremental change or better versions of legacy capabilities, but must pursue transformational capabilities that will provide naval fleets and joint force commanders with a competitive advantage in the gray zone and during contingency.”
General David H. Berger, 38th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps
The outcome of Phases I and II was a redesigned objective force requiring the divestment of certain legacy programs to generate the resources needed to invest in future capabilities.
For the full list of divestments and investments, visit page seven of FD 2030.
Read: A Concept for Stand-in Forces for more on how Marines can operate effectively with allies and partners from within a contested area. The document describes how forward-postured, steady-state forces operating in contested areas—capable of transitioning rapidly from competition to crisis to conflict and back again—can create a strategic advantage.4
You can also view my whiteboard breakdown of the concept here.
Speaking of whiteboards… like most of my work, this article on FD 2030 started as a whiteboard in my office. My original breakdown is depicted below.
Want to read more?
Force Design 2030 - March 2020
Force Design 2030: Annual Update - April 2021
Force Design 2030: Annual Update - May 2022
CMC Articles:
Together We Must Design the Future Force
Notes on Designing the Marine Corps of the Future
Additional outcomes of FD 2030 include:
Talent Management 2030: A new course to align the organization, processes, and approach of the U.S. Marine Corps personnel system with the objectives of Force Design 2030.
Training and Education 2030: Forthcoming
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