The Marine Corps is ordering a slew of its new standard rifle optics for grunts as it plans to bolster its infantry battalions with new capabilities.
Morgan Blackstock, a spokeswoman with Marine Corps Systems Command, said the service is ordering more of the new variable-powered optic, known as the Squad Common Optic, despite having reached its goal in supplying the scope to Marines in 2023.
The additional optics are being given to infantry battalions and are part of the Corps’ long-term modernization goals, a plan called Force Design 2030, Blackstock said. It originally started fielding the scope in 2021 as a partial replacement to the Rifle Combat Optic and the Squad Day Optic for infantry and other units.
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The additional orders of the Squad Common Optic come as the Marine Corps is in the midst of slimming its infantry battalions while bolstering them with new capabilities and equipment.
The latest version of the force design plan published in June 2023 calls for reducing infantry battalions to 811 Marines following experimentation. Infantry battalions traditionally have been staffed at just over 900 Marines.
While the service is trimming its battalions, it is also adding additional capabilities in hopes of making Marines more lethal on the battlefield.
“The most recent update to the infantry…
