Expeditionary strike group

In contrast to carrier strike groups (CSGs), which emphasize air power and are led by a supercarrier, ESGs are strongly suited for amphibious warfare and are led by an amphibious assault ship (currently of the Wasp or America classes).

The United States Navy has always been involved in moving the U.S. Marine Corps by sea, with and without other naval forces.

An ARG is composed of an amphibious assault ship (LHA/LHD), a landing platform/dock (LPD), a Landing Ship, Dock (LSD), and a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), which includes a Marine Infantry battalion landing team, McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II aircraft, Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion, Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight, AH-1 Sea Cobra, and UH-1 Huey helicopters.

However, defense budget reductions in the mid-1990s, coupled with retirements of older aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships without one-for-one replacements, has reduced the original 12 x 12 ESG/CSG construct to fewer groups due to fewer ship hulls to support those said groups.

[3] The following is a list of U.S. military ESGs:[4] This is a list of former ESGs and similarly themed predecessor organizations: The Marine-air-ground task forces, or MAGTF, are a combined component of air and amphibious ground forces of the United States Marine Corps.