To save time and ditch unneeded gear, the Army recently began a pilot program to expedite removing excess equipment from unit inventories. New watercraft are key to the Army's resupply, logistical plans for future combat. The sea service spent billions of dollars to increase its weapons inventory. Now it has run into a major obstacle. The exercise came as Japan continues to beef up its military to counter increased Chinese assertion in the region. The Army, Navy and Air Force have had such laboratories for years. The bridge on a Navy-owned island in California had rusted to the point of being susceptible to collapse. That gave Marines a rare training opportunity. The Pentagon isn't considering withdrawing the extra troops anytime soon. The colonel was relieved for "due to loss of trust and confidence in her ability to command." The uncrewed surface vessels ideally would be light enough to get lugged around by a Marine heavy-lift helicopter, the Corps said. The Navy requested a cap increase on the number of marine mammals it is allowed to unintentionally harm during Pacific training. Load More