On October 21, Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow Sean Welch was quoted in a National Defense Magazine article on the Ground Combat Element 2040 Fiscal Year 2026. Welch argued that the plan continues the service’s existing modernization efforts rather than breaking new ground and warned that the rapid pace of AI and machine learning advances outpaces the Marine Corps’ ability to absorb new capabilities and train Marines to use them. He also advocated for greater detail on sustaining a distributed force, regenerating lost mobility platforms, and supporting a potential 6,500-Marine expansion.
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Related Experts: Sean Welch – Atlantic Council