Common Ground: The Advanced Base Force and the Marine Littoral Regiment
Common Ground: The Advanced Base Force and the Marine Littoral Regiment John S. Naylor 28 July, 2026 Introduction In the face of increased peer competition in the western Pacific, the Marine Corps has fielded a novel, task organized, fighting unit, the Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR). Composed of infantry, anti-shipping, anti-aircraft and logistics Marines, the MLR is deployed to island positions in the Pacific today. Persistent aggressive posturing by Chinese military forces, the enduring threat to Taiwan, and continuing threats to shipping lanes and unincorporated Philippine territory motivated Marine Corps leadership to adopt a new approach to its participation in the defense of the region. The Marine Littoral Regiment is a major departure from the status quo; it combines infantry deployed in platoon sized units employing drones and advanced communications technology; anti-shipping weapons; anti-air weapons; and organic logistics forces designed for decentralized o...