(03-24-2022, 04:07 PM)fullmetal Wrote: Yes, I did assume Naval Infantry to be similar to the Marines, but I think the US Marine Corps has developed a very sharp focus over the last few decades to the point where they've divested themselves of their armored units -- specifically, they no longer operate tanks in order to be lighter and more expeditionary, so to speak. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it seems the Corps' move away from tanks has been prescient. Anti-tank weapons are quite effective.
Anyway, Russian Naval Infantry might be similar to the US Marines in appearance, but I have no reason to assume they're even near the same well-defined scope/function or effectiveness. If Russia is running low on Army infantry and looking to backstop with Naval infantry (square peg, round hole?)...well...it's about the same reason why they're sending in conscripts from their border regions and about to spin up a new draft. They're desperate.
Russian Naval Infantry is generally considered an "elite" formation. If things aren't going well due to lack of aggression, they are the ones to call. However, with their high aggression can come high casualties. They are heavier than USA light infantry but not as heavy as a Russian Motor Rifle formation (mechanized infantry). They are, by Russian standards, very good troops.
The US Marines most certainly did NOT divest themselves of armor over the last few decades, in fact quite the exact opposite. From 1991 until about 2020 they became much heavier in terms of armor. This was in response to the reduction in the size of of the US Army. The US had inadequate troop strength to fight on land against our opponents. The Marines were used as a "second Army", not an amphibious force. They fought in the Second Gulf War and Afghanistan as a land force in exactly the way the Army did.
Since 2021 the Marines have been restructuring themselves to fight as an amphibious force in the Pacific against China. Tanks are not part of that scenario.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/militar...invention/
It is far from unanimous in the Corps itself that this is a good idea. It is being pushed at least partially by budget. We don't really know if the NCA intends and fully understands they cannot call on the Marines to fight as they have for the last 25 or so years. If they do issue such a task, it will be very, very ugly.