There are also longer-term risks. Reduced cybersecurity and privacy training, mirrored in other Department of War initiatives, has raised concerns about force vulnerability in an era of AI-driven threats and persistent cyber intrusion. With commanders setting priorities locally, the Army could see fragmentation in training quality between units.
For now, the Army is betting that time returned to squads, ranges, and collective training outweighs the risks. The message from the top is clear: fewer slides, fewer checklists, more dirt time.
Whether that gamble pays off will be measured old-school … in combat effectiveness.
Such a cool image tucked away on the back page of the Marine Corps Force Design Update for Oct. 2025
Marines’ 2025 Force Design: New Units, New Weapons, Pacific Fight
The Marine Corps released its 2025 Force Design Update on Oct. 23, and the message is clear: stop building for old wars and get ready for a fight in the Pacific.
The Corps says future wars will be fought around islands and coastlines where the enemy can see you, track you, and shoot you fast. That means Marines cannot rely on big bases, slow movements, or one giant formation doing everything. The update pushes the Corps toward smaller units, spread out, armed with long-range weapons, and tied together by sensors and communications.
Commandant Gen. Eric Smith describes Force Design as ongoing work, not a finished plan. The Corps is adjusting as it learns, but the direction is locked in.
What the Corps is building
The biggest change is the creation of new regiments built specifically for the Pacific fight. These units are designed to move fast, operate from islands, and threaten enemy ships and aircraft.
III MEF has two of these regiments. The 3d is already up and running. The 12th is expected to be ready in 2026.
These units are not built like old Marine regiments. They are lighter, smaller, and focused on controlling key terrain instead of pushing deep inland. Their job is to help block enemy movement, especially at sea, while working closely with the Navy and allies.
New weapons and how they fit together
The update highlights several systems meant to give Marines more reach and protection.
One is NMESIS, a truck-mounted missile system designed to hit enemy ships from land. Another is MADIS, a short-range air defense system meant to deal with drones and aircraft that get too close.
The Corps is also focused on tying everything together. Sensors find targets. Shooters take the shot. Units pass information fast and then move before the enemy can respond. This networked approach is often called a “kill web,” but the idea is simple: see first, shoot first, move fast.
Proving it works
The Corps says this is not just theory.
During Balikatan 25, 3d Regiment integrated missiles, air defense, and radar systems while operating from island terrain. The update also points to Resolute Dragon 25, a major exercise with Japan, focused on operating from forward positions and working with allies under realistic conditions.
These exercises are meant to expose problems early and force units to adapt.
Why the Corps thinks this makes sense
Pros
The plan is built for a real peer fight, not small wars.
Smaller units spread out are harder to find and hit.
Allies like Japan and the Philippines are part of the plan from the start.
Cons
Earlier cuts to tanks and artillery still worry critics.
A smaller, more technical force needs skilled Marines, and that is not easy to grow fast.
New equipment comes with bugs, and the first units usually take the hit.
Bottom line: The Marine Corps is betting that training and performance matter more than paperwork. Force Design 2025 keeps pushing the Corps toward forward units that can fight while being watched, targeted, and pressured every minute.
It is a gamble. But it is one the Corps believes it has to take.
09 June 2025, Police officers fire non-lethal bullets at protesters in downtown Los Angeles. Image Credit: KTLA
LA City Council Moves to Tighten LAPD “Less-Lethal” Rules at Protests
Los Angeles is moving closer to new limits on when LAPD can use so called “less-lethal” weapons at protests. On Nov. 12, 2025, a City Council committee advanced a proposal that would restrict the department’s use of kinetic impact projectiles (like foam rounds) and chemical agents (like tear gas) during demonstrations.
The push comes after a rough stretch of protests in 2024 and 2025, including summer 2025 anti-ICE demonstrations where protesters and journalists reported being hit by foam rounds and exposed to chemical agents. A separate state-required LAPD report also documented heavy use of less-lethal munitions during one June protest and noted injuries tied to those deployments.
What the policy change would do
The draft ordinance is aimed at one core idea: if people are peacefully protesting, the LAPD should not be firing impact rounds or deploying chemical agents as a crowd control shortcut.
Under the committee-approved version, LAPD would be barred from using kinetic projectiles or chemical agents unless officers face a physical threat or violence.
Supporters also want clearer guardrails to reduce injuries to bystanders and members of the press.
This is not final yet. The full City Council still has to vote. That final vote is expected in early 2026, and the whole issue is happening while the city faces ongoing legal pressure tied to protest responses.
Why this is happening now
This is about trust and lawsuits, plain and simple.
When a city pays out big money for protest injuries, and when journalists say they are being struck while covering events, the political pressure ramps up fast. The Council is trying to draw a brighter line between lawful crowd management and force that looks punitive.
It should also be taken into account that California requires cities to review and approve certain police equipment and policies. That has kept foam launchers and chemical agents in the public eye instead of buried in an internal policy binder.
Pros
Fewer serious injuries. Restricting when impact rounds and chemical agents can be used should reduce the chances of people getting hurt, especially bystanders and press.
Clearer rules for officers. A simple standard, “no rounds or gas unless there’s violence,” is easier to explain and enforce than vague language about “crowd dynamics.”
Lower lawsuit exposure. If fewer people get hurt, the city has fewer chances to end up in court writing checks.
Cons
Less flexibility in chaos. Police leaders argue that protests can turn violent fast, and officers need options before things fully break loose.
More hands-on force risk. If officers cannot use distance tools, they may have to go closer into a crowd. That can raise risk for officers and protesters.
Uneven enforcement. A rule on paper is not the same as behavior on the street. If training and discipline do not match the policy, the city still gets burned.
Bottom line: the committee vote is a step, but the fight is not over. The full Council vote in early 2026 will decide whether this becomes a binding limit or just another political flare-up that fades after the headlines.
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Evening Brief: Army Cuts Mandatory Training, Marines Push Force Design 2025, LA Moves to Restrict LAPD Less-Lethal Use at Protests
The Army is cutting hundreds of hours of mandatory training, the Marine Corps is doubling down on Force Design for a Pacific fight, and Los Angeles is moving to tighten rules on LAPD less-lethal weapons at protests. Today’s brief breaks down what changed, why it matters, and what critics are already warning about.
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