What is a major threat that informs Marine modernization priorities in the next decade?

• A. Near-peer competition (China and Russia) and A2/AD, cyber, space
• B. Conventional piracy along sea lanes
• C. Isolated regional instability with small state actors
• D. Conventional global war with large ground force attrition

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is how today’s strategic environment shapes Marine modernization. The threat that informs priorities over the next decade is near-peer competition with states like China and Russia, particularly the anti-access/area denial challenge, plus the need to operate in cyberspace and space.

Why this is the best answer: In a future where adversaries can contest access to the sea, air, and space, the Marine Corps must be able to project power from the sea, operate in dispersed, contested environments, and survive or defeat sophisticated sensor-shielded defenses. Modernization focuses on making the MAGTF agile, distributed, and networked, with long-range precision fires, survivable platforms, and resilient communications, so allied forces can fight together across domains despite sophisticated A2/AD networks. The cyber and space aspects reflect the need to protect own networks and to exploit vulnerabilities in adversaries’ C2, ISR, and navigation capabilities, ensuring mission command remains intact under contested conditions.

By contrast, piracy along sea lanes, isolated regional instability with small actors, or a traditional large-ground-war paradigm don’t drive the same comprehensive shift toward contested-domain operations, rapid force projection from the sea, and integrated joint and multi-domain capabilities that near-peer, A2/AD–driven planning demands.