Marine Corps Enhances Pacific Strategy with New Anti-Ship Unit in Okinawa
The U.S. Marine Corps is bolstering its presence in the Pacific with the establishment of a new military unit designed to disrupt and challenge adversaries in the region. This initiative, which includes the Corps’ first anti-ship missile battery, was marked by a formal ceremony at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, on March 3.
The newly formed 12th Littoral Combat Team (LCT) is integral to the Marine Corps’ strategy to counter growing Chinese influence in the Pacific. It represents the third component of the modern Marine littoral regiment (MLR) concept, emphasizing agility and technological advancement.
Consisting of a reinforced infantry battalion and an anti-ship missile battery, the 12th LCT is outfitted with 18 Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction Systems (NMESIS). These mobile units are often referred to as “ship killers” due to their capability to neutralize enemy vessels from land, according to a Marine Corps spokesperson.
The 12th LCT complements two other units in Okinawa: the Littoral Anti-Air Battalion and the Littoral Logistics Battalion, together forming the 12th MLR. This regiment is a pivotal element of the Marine Corps’ redesign to enhance mobility and technological prowess in the Pacific theater.
Colonel Peter Eltringham, commanding officer of the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment, emphasized the strategic importance of the unit, stating, “We bring this combat power to Okinawa to be able to deliver it in the eyes of our adversaries and ensure we can bring it to the decisive point on the battlefield.”
The transformation into the 12th LCT involved reorganizing the historical 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, a unit with over a century of service. The parent regiment, the 12th MLR, was redesignated in 2023 from an artillery-focused unit, known as the 12th Marine Regiment.
The concept of the MLR is to maintain a low-signature, mobile force permanently stationed in the Pacific. This “stand-in force” approach ensures rapid response to threats and disruption of hostile activities without the need for deployment from other regions.
According to Lt. Col. Eric Flanagan, spokesperson for Marine Corps Combat Development and Integration, “The MLR is uniquely designed to maneuver and persist inside a contested maritime environment, where its primary mission will be to serve as the eyes and ears of the joint force and conduct sea denial operations within an adversary’s weapons engagement zone as part of a stand-in force in support of a naval campaign.”
The 12th LCT’s mission includes deploying platoon-sized units for intelligence gathering, surveillance, and early warning, with the added capability to engage enemy vessels using its anti-ship battery. This deployment marks the first instance of such a battery being stationed on Okinawa.
While the NMESIS units are yet to be delivered, they will be supplemented by the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS), an advanced air defense system capable of engaging targets while on the move.
Flanagan highlighted the strategic value of these systems, noting, “A cornerstone in the Marine Corps’ Force Design initiative, the NMESIS increases the Marine Corps’ defensive capabilities and responsiveness against potential adversaries in amphibious operations.”
The 12th MLR is projected to consist of approximately 2,000 Marines and sailors, which is slightly smaller than a typical Marine Expeditionary Unit. This restructuring effort follows the establishment of the 3rd MLR in March 2022, with plans to potentially convert another unit, the 4th Marine Regiment, into a third MLR.
Flanagan emphasized the focus on developing the existing MLRs, stating, “We’ve talked about doing up to three, but the focus right now for us is on 3rd and 12th. Forming them, getting them up to full operational capability, and then getting them all the technologies that they need.”
