The US Marine Corps (USMC) released the annual update to its Force Design 2030 (FD 2030) modernisation strategy on May 9, which included a number of adjustments to its aviation strategy based on research conducted over the last two-and-a-half years.
Regarding force structure, while the USMC originally planned to divest three MV-22 Osprey medium tilt-rotor squadrons (VMMs), which would have resulted in a total of 14 squadrons with 12 aircraft each, the Corps is now returning to a 16 MV-22 squadron construct with ten aircraft per squadron.
This, the FD 2030 update states, “better satisfies joint force requirements and better supports service needs to organise, train, and equip. In particular, this force structure simplifies the formation of a Marine Expeditionary Unit’s (MEU’s) aviation combat element (ACE)”.
