By Robbin Laird

During a July 2021 visit to 2d Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) I talked with LtCol J. Eric Grunke and LtCol Jessica Hawkins. Grunke just relinquished responsibility to Hawkins for the Marine Aviation Training Systems (MATS) ecosystem within 2d MAW; encompassing all aviation simulators and the necessary infrastructure.  There is a MATS Site at each of the major 2d MAW air stations; MCAS Cherry Point, MCAS New River and MCAS Beaufort.

In order to remain America’s Force in Readiness, the Marine Corps must continue to adapt as the world changes.

Force Design 2030 is focused on designing the Marine Corps that will be needed 10 years from now.

Major General Michael Cederholm, Commanding General (CG) 2d MAW, emphatically believes that training must evolve exponentially to strengthen the Marines enduring advantages, and allow them to prevail in strategic competition with China or any other nation.

Keeping with this vision, the CG directed the integration of multiple, disparate platform simulators along with command and control (C2) systems to better prepare his force and support II Marine Expeditionary Force missions. 

China has fundamentally transformed the operating environment and the Marine Corps must modernize the force and its capabilities in order to continue to deter adversaries.

A key element of the combat learning process is integrating live, virtual, constructive training; a technique that combines simulation with real-world flights and ground maneuver.  This technique is a force multiplier when shaping tactics and concepts for new and emerging technology like the F-35.

War gaming is a time tested element of the planning process for informing a commander of the strengths and weaknesses in an operational plan.

However, advances in modeling, simulation, and workforce integration provide an alternative to the traditional war game.

Commanders that leverage the advancing capabilities in virtual and constructive environments are provided with a dynamic operational environment that truly exercises real time risk and force employment decision making at all levels.

More importantly, it will allow commanders to engage a “thinking” enemy and the associated friction often lacking in a static set of assumptions used by traditional war gamers. Ideally, thereby providing a more accurate assessment of an operational plan’s efficacy.

LtCol Grunke’s experience in Operation ODYSSEY DAWN (OD) provides an example of the operational plan not playing out to script. 

LtCol Grunke was flying Strike Coordination and Reconnaissance (SCAR) sorties in support of the OD, when he had to quickly change mindset and serve as the on-scene commander for an innovative downed pilot recovery effort using a combined flight of Ospreys and Harriers.

The team launched from an amphibious ship to rescue a downed USAF pilot in record time.

His actions were a potential war changing event war game modeling can easily overlook.

Much of my discussion with LtCol Grunke and LtCol Hawkins focused on how to enhance integrated training and increase pilot proficiency against enemy aircraft and weapons systems.

To address the pacing threat, the Marine Corps is evolving and innovating as part of the larger naval expeditionary force.

One theme we discussed is the 2d MAW effort to improve realistic, wing-level training.

One critical step is having real pilots operating in their platform specific simulators (e.g. a qualified Cobra or Harrier pilot flying in the simulators) and integrating with the Marine Aircraft Control Group (MACG) to conduct coordinated missions in support of the exercise scenario.

This concept was recently tested in 2d MAW’s COPE JAVELIN exercise.

An April 29, 2021 article by 1^stLt Michael Curtis of 2d MAW highlighted the exercise as follows:

“COPE JAVELIN,” which took place last month, was a simulation that followed a fictional operational scenario that could easily take place in the real world. Marine aviators from various unites across 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing strapped into flight simulators for different aircraft that were located at different bases across eastern North Carolina.

“They were able to connect across different simulation systems and work together to defend against a fictional enemy force. They communicated with each other and integrated forces in order to accomplish a mission without ever getting into the cockpit of a real aircraft.

“This integration of multiple simulation systems gives Marine pilots and Marine Air Control Group 28 Marines the opportunity to accomplish hard, realistic training without leaving their respective bases and saves a tremendous amount of money in fuel, ordnance, maintenance and various other costs associated with conducting this training in real time.

“The brains of this innovative and unique training is LtCol Eric Grunke, the director of aviation training systems for 2nd MAW. He saw the need to integrate all Marine Air-Ground Task Force assets in a virtual training environment in order to improve aviation combat training.

“Linking [systems] is not new, but we are taking it to a new level by incorporating [command and control Marines] training on their own equipment, and we are using a common scenario developed by the Training Support Center – normally a ground-centric agency.”

“Prior to this integration, the command and control Marines of MACG-28 who would be located in the Direct Air Support Center and the Tactical Air Operations Center would run separate simulations with simulated pilots and aircraft.

“Conversely, when a pilot is conducting simulator training, he or she would normally be speaking to a single pilot who would be acting as both the DASC and TAOC.

“While that training is effective, COPE JAVELIN provides additional opportunities to have key roles within the command and control structures manned by Marines who have the requisite skills to act in those specific billets. Normally, two to three integrated systems allow the pilots training in the simulator to conduct realistic communications, albeit with a makeshift TAOC or DASC outside of the simulator.

“Now, they can integrate more than ten simulators that bring together integral parts of the MAW, further allowing the MAW to be more effective in providing the six functions of Marine aviation.”

Achieving this level of integration was described by LtCol Grunke as a crawl, walk, then run process.

“The crawl phase was to get a Cobra pilot in their sim and a Harrier pilot in their sim and make sure they share the same visual representation to both fly and see the same terrain. They can then work together in that common operating picture.”

“The walk phase is to take that pairing and work with a Joint Terminal Aircraft Controller in their sim to execute a single sortie in the simulator. In that phase we still did not have the MACG (the C2 arm of the wing) fully virtual. They were purely constructive and travel to the various sites to participate. They were sitting in our simulator center just talking on the radio, doing their jobs, but not on their own equipment, and not in their own space.”

“The run phase which was seen in COPE JAVELIN was the C2 element at the DASC controlling the close air support assets coming in and out of objective areas on their own gear, while Harrier pilots in their sims and Cobra pilots in their sims participate in the engagement.”

“The goal here is to shape readiness at the wing level – Marines must be ready for anything, anywhere, especially when the nation is the least ready.”

LtCol Grunke highlighted the focus of effort as follows: “This is a working mission rehearsal.

“What I want to happen is a force-on-force exercise.

“We have a red team acting as the Russian commander; they do as they please with their forces.

“I want to ensure no telegraphing to the blue side of their intentions.

“The Harriers and the other air assets get their targets assigned and then the red force take force-on-force action appropriate to the enemy mission.

“This is how we truly achieve a force-on-force event; where we basically get to see whether our tactics work or not, given our assumptions, as the scenario unfolds.”

“They’re met with limited success in really achieving a true force-on-force, which is something we’ll want to work on for the next time.”

A second theme discussed was the challenge of networking individual platform simulators to deliver a more integrated operating space for the training effort.

When I visited Jax Navy, the challenge there is linking MH-60 Romeo with MQ-4C Triton and P-8 simulators, which is crucial as these three platforms operate as an integrated system to deliver a coordinated set of effects.

A similar challenge faces the trainers at 2d MAW.

As LtCol Hawkins put it: “We are working to streamline the data flow across not only the different flight simulators, but the other simulation systems as well, in order to run a more effective exercise.

“All of these systems have been developed somewhat independently and speak their own language.

“To work around that problem all the networking information has to run through a Distributed Information System (DIS) bridge which essentially interprets the various coding languages used by each simulation device, processes and converts it into usable language for each to understand.

“With the scale of COPE JAVELIN, the number of virtual and constructive friendly and enemy entities, the DIS bridge can become rapidly overwhelmed.”

A third theme discussed was training in the environment where operational plans are intended to be executed.  

As LtCol Hawkins underscored: “We need to obtain a more comprehensive visual data base in order to conduct true mission rehearsal exercises.

“All of the different platforms, represented by their own program offices have purchased visual imagery databases based on their own assessed priorities.  This has resulted in a disparity between the platforms; they don’t all have the same images.

“For example, a MV-22 might be able to go to Northeastern Europe in the simulator but the Harrier may not. The Cobra might be able to go to the Horn of Africa, but another platform might not. These are problems Aviation Training Systems are working through.”

A fourth theme discussed was how the training way-ahead will allow warriors to drive innovation beyond traditional war-gaming outputs.

As LtCol Grunke put it: “Instead of war gaming, let’s train for a real war.

“Let’s get into the areas where we expect to fight, with the actual terrain in a simulator, with the G/ATOR where we think it’s going to be, where we think the force is going to launch from, and see how we do.

“There’s no reason why we can’t do something like that, so long as all the imagery is unified in all the trainers, and we can see the effects of operations from the various simulator locations.”

A fifth theme we discussed was the allied aspect of training for an integrated combat effect.

I highlighted the discussion I had with the BALTOPS-50 team where Norwegian F-35s played the F-35 role in the exercise.

As LtCol Grunke underscored: “The Norwegian F-35As carry a much different ordnance load from the F-35B flown by the USMC. They also have different rules of engagement (ROE) considerations. So to work the virtual aspect we need to have a constructive role player from Norway to come over and indicate how they approach the operation.”

We closed with a question I posed to the new Director of the MATS: What key capabilities would you most like to add in the near term to accelerate the way ahead for training?

LtCol Hawkins: “I think there are two things.

“First, would be building and operating from a common global visual database.

“Second, simulators that are easily connected to one another and can talk and transfer data back and forth with ease.”

Also, see the following:

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/87255/marine-aviator-year-recalls-historic-mission-libya

The Featured Photo is from 2012: Maj. J. Eric Grunke, pictured here at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., April 24, 2012 has been named Marine Corps Aviator of the Year by the Marine Corps Aviation Association. The MCAA gives the award to the pilot who makes the most outstanding contribution to Marine aviation over that past year.

Looking Back on the Libyan Trap Mission: Battle Hardened Marines Drive Innovation

The Impact of Events Avoided: The Key Role of the Agile Response Group (ARG)

When I visited MARFORPAC in 2014, it was the beginning of what the Obama Administration called the “Pivot to the Pacific.”

But that really did not happen as the Russians seized Crimea, and the wars in the Middle East ramped up.

Those demand sets still weigh heavily on the U.S. military and its ability to generate forces for Pacific operations.

But the basic template for the Marines in the Pacific was already being shaped, namely, a distributed laydown, from which the Marines could operate with greater strategic depth than being in Hawaii and on the West Coast of the United States.

In a 2014 article I highlighted the basic template which was being put in place as follows:

The U.S. Marine Corps is in the throes of a significant shift in the Pacific in the disposition of its forces. Because two thirds of Marines are deployed to the Pacific, such a shift is a key event in shaping the Marine Corps stance in the decade ahead…. The demand to support distributed forces is rising and will require attention to be paid to the connectors, lifters and various support elements.

Part of that demand can be met as allies modernize their own support elements, such as Australia and Singapore adding new Airbus tankers which could be leveraged to support Marine Corps Ospreys as well as other aircraft.

Indeed, a key element of the distributed laydown of our forces in the Pacific is the fact that it is occurring as core allies in the region are reshaping and modernizing their forces as well as partners coming to the table who wish to work with and host USMC forces operating on a rotational basis with their forces. The military and political demands for the kind of forces that the Marines are developing also are what allies and partners want for their operations.

In turn, this drives up the importance of exercises in the Pacific with joint and coalition forces to shape new capabilities for the distributed force.

The distributed laydown, the evolution of the capabilities for distributed forces, the modernization of allied forces and the growing interest in a diversity of partners to work with the USMC are all part of shaping what might be called a deterrence-in-depth strategy to deal with the threats and challenges facing the United States and its allies in shaping a 21st-century approach to Pacific defense….

It is clear that as the distributed approach is shaped in the Pacific, the demand on support, connectors and lift is going to increase. There will be a need for Military Sealift Command ships and amphibious ships and to draw heavily on new ships like the T-AKE and USNS Montford Point (MLP-1).

The demand on airlift is significant, and it’s clear from developments in the Pacific and new approaches like Special Purpose MAGTFs that KC-130Js need to be plussed up.

LtGen Robling, the MARFORPAC commander, underscored the nature of the challenge: “The demand signal goes up every year while the cost of using the lift goes up every year as well. This has me very concerned.

 “The truth of the matter is the Asia Pacific region is 52 percent of the globe’s surface, and there are over 25,000 islands in the region. The distances and times necessary to respond to a crisis are significant. The size of the AOR [area of responsibility] is illustrated in part by the challenge of finding the missing Malaysian airliner.

“If you don’t have the inherent capability like the KC-130J aircraft to get your equipment and people into places rapidly, you can quickly become irrelevant. General Hawk Carlisle uses a term in his engagement strategy which is ‘places not bases.’

“America doesn’t want forward bases. This means you have to have the lift to get to places quickly, be able to operate in an expeditionary environment when you get there, and then leave when we are done.

Strengthening our current partnerships and making new ones will go a long way in helping us be successful at this strategy,” the general added. “We have to be invited in before we can help. If you don’t have prepositioned equipment already in these countries, then you have to move it in somehow.

 “And, right now, we’re moving in either via naval shipping, black-bottom shipping, or when we really need it there quickly, via KC-130J aircraft or available C-17 aircraft. Right now, we are the only force in the Pacific that can get to a crisis quickly, and the only force that operates as an integrated air, sea and ground organization.”

 Allies see the Marines clearly on the right path, and that path is a powerful one. But funding for the capabilities needed and the proper training will not happen by itself.

 In my return to MARFORPAC in August 2021, the core template put in place in 2014 remains valid and a sound basis for moving ahead.

The major changes since then are clearly how both the Chinese and Russians are reaching out further into the Pacific, and the North Korean nuclear challenge has deepened.

During my MARFORPAC visit, I had a chance to be briefed by Joe Sampson, Director of Strategic Engagement, which provided an opportunity to talk about what has changed and what has not. 

In this article I am going to leverage what I learned both during the visit and from the Sampson briefing, to shape my judgements about what has changed and what not. To be clear, I am not holding Sampson responsible for my judgments, but thank him for his information and insights provided during that briefing.

The first major takeaway is that the push further out into the Pacific by the Chinese and the Chinese military build out and engagements in the Pacific require the Marines to operate forward of their basing in the United States and in Hawaii.

One way to do so is to work on more effective operational capabilities to project force from three trajectories for operations in the Pacific.

The first is from Okinawa which is in the first island chain, and where the F-35s of the Marines provide a key element for projecting power.

The second is from the rebuild of Guam with the Marines having a base from which to rotate forces for operations.

The third is working with the Australian Defence Force from the Northern territories.

When I first visited MARFORPAC, the F-35 was not yet there; and the Marine Rotational Force-Darwin was just in its infancy. Both of these additions highlight how the Marines are working their approaches to operating in the Pacific.

The F-35 allows the Marines to work closely with allies in the region who also have F-35s, prepare to operate with the South Koreans and Japanese who will operate F-35Bs as well off of their amphibious ships, and to integrate closely with the USAF as well.

The Australian working relationship is a key one, and having spent many years working with the Australians, the key impact will come as the Australians rework their military strategy in the region, and the Marines sort through how to most effectively work the Australians as they do so.

But the core takeaway is simply the importance of being able to project force from multiple trajectories.

The second major takeaway is the central role of training.

Training is a weapon system. But shaping a USMC trained properly for Pacific operations is challenging, as there is no one place to do so. They operate off of Hawaii and multiple islands but are limited in what they can do in specific training situations. Bringing the whole capability together is crucial and  difficult. For the U.S. Navy and the USAF, bringing the full spectrum of capabilities into the current training environment is virtually impossible, and I mean literally impossible in either a live or virtual setting. For the Marines to work through how to integrate more effectively with the Navy or USAF is a major challenge going forward.

Sampson underscored the importance of training from another perspective as well. It is crucial to train with partners and allies, not simply from the standpoint of bringing what the U.S. can do to an allied or partner training event. Rather, it is crucial to understand the approach of those partners and allies not only to military training but with regard to their tactical and inferentially their strategic purposes for national defense in the region.

A third takeaway is how really crucial aviation is for the USMC to operate in what is lovingly called the “tyranny of distance.”

The range and speed of the Osprey finds a significant strategic space in the Pacific and the Marines as the only tiltrotor/fifth generation force in the world need clearly to leverage those capabilities going forward.

A fourth takeaway is the enhanced importance on naval integration but the shortage of amphibious ships is certainly a barrier to getting full value from what is possible for the fleet as an integrated fighting force.

When I was at MARFORPAC in 2014, there was a growing emphasis on the importance of “amphibiosity.” This emphasis remains significant as the Marines are focused on how to influence naval operations from their seabases to their expeditionary bases.

Now partner and allied nations are clearly ramping up their amphibious capabilities which provides a significant operational set of opportunities for the Marines going forward.

And working naval integration is not limited to the U.S. Navy, of course.

Marines operating off of HMS Queen Elizabeth in the Pacific or landing on Japanese amphibious ships is also part of the broad scale integration with naval forces in the Pacific as is highlighted in the following slide from Sampson’s brief.

A fifth takeaway is the current USMC Commandant’s focus on leveraging expeditionary basing and redesigning the force to be more agile is a key part of MARFORC is currently working on. 

Sampson provided a very helpful slide in his briefing which highlighted the modernization priorities which reflected the Commandant’s 2030 force design led effort.

With regard to the “lighter, more mobile and versatile infantry” piece, a key effort is underway to shape a Marine Littoral Regiment, which was highlighted in the following slide from Sampson’s brief:

In short, the Marines are a key part of the effort to shape the kind of integrated distributed force crucial for full spectrum crisis management in the region.

They face several challenges in working the transition, which I will focus on in later articles.

Featured Photo: PHILIPPINE SEA (June 2, 2021) An MV-22B Osprey from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit takes off from the flight deck of the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6). America, lead ship of the America Amphibious Ready Group, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Walter Estrada)

By Matt Gonzales

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII

In August, Marine Corps Systems Command led one of the largest command and control user evaluations since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

MCSC collaborated with the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, Navy and Coast Guard to execute Island Marauder 21. The exercise, spread across multiple training sites on Oahu, enabled nearly 500 Marines to assess communication equipment in a maritime environment and provide direct feedback to system developers.

“Island Marauder allows Marines to employ, ask questions about and develop a greater understanding of their command and control equipment to better prepare them for the future fight,” said Maj. Ben Gardner, MCSC’s lead for Island Marauder 21.

The purpose of Island Marauder 21 was to employ a representative Littoral Combat Team to execute objectives using existing and emerging technologies under conditions anticipated for expeditionary advanced base operations, a core concept found in the Marine Corps’ Force Design 2030.

The event was a component of Large Scale Exercise 21—a live, scenario-driven exercise designed to better prepare the armed forces for combat in the Indo-Pacific region. LSE 21 is the largest exercise of this scale conducted by the U.S. in more than 50 years.

LSE 21 is also the first naval and amphibious large-scale exercise conducted since the Ocean Venture NATO exercises held during the Cold War. More than 25,000 Marines, Sailors and civilians took part in this multifaceted event.

Island Marauder serves as a critical LSE 21 exercise for the Marine Corps. The lessons learned through the event will inform future Marine Corps operating requirements and system development and acquisition tasks.

The Marine Corps is undergoing modernization efforts to support the future Marine. Gardner said supporting the Naval Expeditionary Force serves as a critical pillar in the Corps’ ongoing mission to prepare for the future fight against evolving threats.

“Island Marauder represents an integral step toward realizing this vision,” said Gardner.

Testing interoperability

This year’s Island Marauder was unlike previous iterations. In the past, MCSC provided experimental systems for participating Marines to use during training exercises. This year, MCSC instead integrated established programs of record in order to operate on live networks and fully integrate with the Navy.

The command provided systems to 3rd Marine Regiment; 1st Battalion, 12th Marines; 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines; and Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268. These capabilities included tactical tablets such as Marine Air-Ground Common Handheld and Target Handoff System version 2, a Very Small Aperture Terminal satellite capability and more.

“The intent was for Marines to use the equipment in a manner that best supports their operations,” said Gardner.

Third Marine Regiment is an infantry unit, based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, who will soon transition to the newly formed Marine Littoral Regiment—a stand-alone, naval force capable of enabling maneuver and operations in a maritime environment.

Once established, 3rd MLR will be the first of its kind in the Marine Corps.

“An objective of Island Marauder is to give [III Marine Regiment] a chance to use this equipment to better inform their process and shape how they’re going to structure themselves to become Marine Littoral Regiment,” said Maj. David Parker, communication officer at III Marine Regiment.

During Island Marauder, Marines were instructed to use gear as they would in a live, operational environment. MCSC devised scenarios incorporating various training objectives that mirrored the future Indo-Pacific battlefield, allowing participants to grow more comfortable with the systems and situations.

For example, one exercise saw participants seize terrain to enable artillery units to gain fire superiority on a distant island chain. The Marines of VMM-268 transported 3rd Marines and their equipment in an MV-22 Osprey from a pickup zone to a nearby island. Marines traveled in an Osprey equipped with a Networking On-the-Move system for an airborne command and control exercise.

Networking On-the-Move, a critical Force Design capability, was also integrated into a prototype Utility Task Vehicle and wheeled onto another MV-22 aircraft, showcasing its mobility and transportability. NOTM is a satellite command and control system Marines can leverage to communicate while mobile on the battlefield.

“This was the first time 3rd Marines have used NOTM on an aircraft,” said Gardner. “The task proved successful.”

During Island Marauder, MCSC integrated their communication equipment with LINK-16, a standardized communications system used by the U.S. and allied militaries. These capabilities helped to test interoperability among the joint forces in a denied or degraded environment.

The event also included ship-to-shore movements involving an amphibious transport dock, or landing platform dock, and a Landing Craft Air Cushion provided by the Navy. The LPD moved a group of Marines and Sailors from Oahu to Kauai via the LCACs.

“We integrated our equipment with naval and joint [command, control, communications, computers, combat systems and intelligence] systems in a realistic setting,” said Gardner. “That doesn’t happen often.”

‘An Invaluable Opportunity’

Routine interactions between infantry Marines and MCSC engineers is also uncommon.

Andrew Mitchell, a Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic employee supporting MCSC as the lead engineer for Island Marauder, said Marines were eager to learn from the providers of their equipment, asking questions and receiving relevant, useful information.

These interactions also enabled MCSC program offices to consider the feedback and improve their equipment as needed.

“Having the diverse technologies we’ve brought to Island Marauder and putting them into a field user environment is valuable input to the development engineers,” said Mitchell. “This helps them further direct their work to give Marines better technology in the future.”

Marines participating in Island Marauder expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to familiarize themselves with critical systems, interact with engineers, and gain additional knowledge and skills needed to support future missions.

“I really appreciate the opportunity to gain firsthand experience and provide feedback to those organizations that have given us this equipment,” said Staff Sgt. Brandon Parker, a transmission chief with 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines. “It’s an invaluable opportunity.”

Maj. Christopher Montgomery, the VMM-268 aircraft maintenance officer, was one of the many VMM-268 Marines who provided support during Island Marauder. He believes strongly in the importance of large-scale testing events, as they foster experimentation and collaboration among the services.

“This exercise has given us the venue to test some of the capabilities, especially these new systems, and put them into practice as we achieve tactical objectives,” said Montgomery. “The support and integration of the industry representatives with the tactical level operators was effective.”

Island Marauder allowed MCSC to refine operational concepts that focus on fully integrating command and control capabilities across multiple domains. Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Berger has emphasized the importance of defending key, contested maritime terrain to enable persistent sea denial and control operations to maintain a competitive advantage over enemy forces.

This article was published by Marine Corps Systems Command on September 1, 2021..

And an earlier article by Ashley Calingo highlighted the role of the exercise within the context of the wider U.S. Navy’s Large Scale Exercise 2021.

Marine Corps Base Hawaii—Marine Corps Systems Command provided support to exercise Island Marauder August 2-16 on Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Unlike previous years, Island Marauder this year was nested under the Navy’s Large Scale Exercise 21, a live, virtual and constructive, scenario-driven, globally-integrated exercise spanning 17 time zones.

During Island Marauder 21, a representative Littoral Combat Team executed objectives using existing and emerging technologies under conditions anticipated for expeditionary advanced base operations, a core concept found in the Marine Corps’ Force Design 2030. MCSC and the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab provided the technologies used and evaluated by Marines on the battlefield during the exercise.

“It’s critical we stay connected to our Marines and the operating forces to ensure the capabilities we’re providing not only meet their current needs, but will keep them ahead of any threat,” said MCSC Commander Brig. Gen. AJ Pasagian. “This is the perfect environment not only for us to solicit feedback on some of our new and emerging systems, but also assess the interoperability of those systems with our Naval partners.”

During the exercise, Marines used innovative communication equipment such as Networking On-the-Move, Marine Air-Ground Task Force Common Handheld, Target Handoff System Version 2 and more.

“We are taking fielded programs of record and providing this command and control equipment to 3rd Marine Regiment and a couple other units with whom they’re working,” said Maj. Ben Gardner, MCSC’s lead for Island Marauder 2021.

MCSC designed a series of scenarios designed to mirror real-life battlefield situations. For example, Marines will be loading a prototype NOTM system via Utility Task Vehicle onto an MV-22 Osprey from an airfield to a beach to test the equipment’s effectiveness while mobile.

The event allows the 3rd Marine Regiment, based in Hawaii, to familiarize themselves with a system they will be using in the future.

“This is the first time [3rd Marines] have used NOTM on an aircraft,” said Gardner.

MCSC collaborated with the Navy and Coast Guard to execute Island Marauder 2021. The Coast Guard provided a commissioned vessel to test interoperability among Marine Corps and Naval capabilities, a unique aspect of the exercise, said Gardner.

Island Marauder 2021 supports Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Berger’s intention of developing a more naval force and better prepare for the expeditionary advanced base operations and the future Marine Littoral Regiment.

The Mission Brief of Island Marauder 2019 can be viewed below:

For an exercise by 2nd MAW last year which featured NOTM operating from an Osprey, see below:

Exercise Deep Water: Working the Integrated Distributed Insertion Force