Spokesperson Morgan Blackstock revealed that the virtual training systems at bases in California, North Carolina, and Okinawa will soon incorporate the M252 60mm mortar and the M3A1 shoulder-fired rocket.

The trainers were previously limited to machine guns, rifles, and pistols.

According to Blackstock, the virtual training will be more than just a video game, as it will replicate the actual look, weight, and feel of rocket and mortar systems.

It will provide “everything but the blast,” ensuring that soldiers can achieve top performance during actual live-fire exercises.

“Marines bring their real [rockets] from the armory, and the drop-in kit is installed to simulate fires onto the screens,” the spokesperson noted. “The mortars are replicas that operate like real mortars and can use real tactical optics and bipods.”

Increased Protection From Blasts

The transition to virtual training comes amid calls to provide troops with increased blast protection to avoid brain injuries.

Pentagon data shows that between 2000 and 2023, nearly half a million US military personnel were diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. Most of them had prolonged exposure to blasts.

Last month, the US Department of Defense issued a new policy guideline to ensure the provision of adequate protective equipment to anyone firing certain weapons.

It also mandates the observance of specific safe distances during live-fire exercises and training.

“From a safety perspective, we are committed to preventing negligent discharges,” USMC safety chief Tripp Elliott said. “We’re also focused on mitigating the impacts on hearing and preventing traumatic brain injuries.”

The post US Marine Corps Transitions to Virtual Mortar Training to Lessen Blast Effects appeared first on The Defense Post.

For the next two days, as desperate Afghans and foreign nationals attempted to flee the fallen country, the initial crowd of around 5,000 people overrunning the airport appeared to double every 12 hours.

The Taliban presence south of the airport, combined with their nightly movements throughout Kabul, suggested the possibility of a deliberate, coordinated effort to create a situation where US Marines would inadvertently kill civilians.

If this happened, Taliban fighters would, in theory, gain the favor of the civilians by appearing to “heroically” save Afghans from international forces.

Unpredictable and Messy

Our primary mission was to keep the runway open. We did this while snipers intermittently attacked our checkpoints and panicked civilians threatened to overrun the airport’s perimeter and runway.

When millions of lives are at stake and power is uncertain or nonexistent, the concept of law and order goes out the window. Mildly stated, our job was unpredictable and messy.

I wouldn’t have had a strong stance if you had asked me about non-lethal weapons before August 2021. My primary focus was on live fire and lethal combat relevant to any region where American forces might deploy.

I did not anticipate our combat environment would involve one of the largest air evacuations in world history combined with fixed-site security of what essentially became an island.

I could never have foreseen that we Marines would not be allowed to target our attackers. I damn sure didn’t anticipate that our unit would spend its last two weeks in Afghanistan standing post as partners alongside the same Taliban fighters that had been trying to kill us for over 20 years.

Need for Lethality

In the spring of 2021, our battalion left the United States well-trained before we deployed on a standard six-month rotation as a Marine Expeditionary Unit attached to a US Navy Amphibious Ready Group.

However, our tactics and training — and the equipment we prepared to use in combat — focused mostly on lethal, complex, direct-action missions.

While my Marines and I benefitted from learning how to get on and off a ship to raid an enemy position in a small window of time, we didn’t rely on those skills or the lethal munitions that accompanied them to control chaotic civilian crowds in and around Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA).

We needed more effective non-lethal weapons — which the US Department of Defense now calls intermediate force capabilities — and the training and experience to use them effectively.

Why Intermediate Force?

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has accelerated the US national security policy shift from two decades of combat operations focused on counterterrorism and counterinsurgency towards the long-term mission of strategic deterrence against peer competitors.

In the South China Sea, US military leaders are preparing to counter an adversary with scalable capabilities ranging from precise lethality to less-than-lethal means.

Since January 2019, Russia has officially been developing weapons that will be mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles and robots and can produce not only kinetic lethal outcomes but also non-lethal acoustic, flashing, and irritating effects.

Intermediate force capabilities refer to a broad array of new and existing operational tools, including non-lethal weapons, that offer scalability between presence and lethality.

From increasing offensive capabilities along the electromagnetic spectrum to establishing a permanent degree of legally permissible actions — that could potentially include deadly force — peer adversaries are preparing for a range of force options.

These types of capabilities can contribute to accomplishing US strategic goals in regions of peer competition by enabling scalable, less-than-lethal tactics in complex situations, such as the one we confronted in Afghanistan.

The Battle of Hamid Karzai International Airport

On August 26, 2021, an Islamic State militant detonated a suicide vest HKIA’s Abbey Gate, killing 13 US service members and dozens of Afghan civilians.

Days later, America’s longest war ended with a massive airlift to evacuate hundreds of thousands of Americans, foreign citizens, and vulnerable Afghans. The US service members successfully conducted the airlift transporting men, women, and children from a hostile environment without using deadly force while keeping a hidden enemy at bay.

Almost two years later, few people appear to understand the amount of combat required to secure and maintain what was Afghanistan’s only functioning international airport for over two weeks.

Taliban units persistently attacked, with assaults halting only the day before US State Department authorities and Taliban representatives brokered a deal.

The resulting agreement mandated that US Marines stand post alongside the same Taliban soldiers who, moments before (and for more than two decades), were our sworn enemies. To say this was an uncomfortable and demoralizing experience would be among the century’s biggest understatements.

When I arrived in Kabul in mid-July 2021 as a special advisor to the commanding general who would be tasked with the evacuation, we were told we would be securing the airport at a time and date to be determined. I began preparing for that operation.

As it turned out, the Taliban offensive across Afghanistan, culminating with the fall of Kabul, decided the evacuation timeline rather than the US or coalition chain of command.

Despite multiple combat deployments, this was my first time carrying a cell phone in combat (we previously had satellite phones). Anytime I had the opportunity, I could call my wife and tell her I was still alive.

And when I called, she would ask me about the latest 30-second videos released on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok that the public assumed to be the most authoritative sources of ground truth.

Video: People run on tarmac of Kabul international airport as a US military aircraft attempts to take off. pic.twitter.com/9qA36HS0WQ

— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) August 16, 2021

Those viral snapshots from Afghans often portrayed events inaccurately by failing to provide the context of the firefight or airplane arrival right before someone’s smartphone camera started rolling. Misinformation was seemingly as rampant as the hysterical crowd and proliferated with stunning ease.

Like accurate information, non-lethal weapons need to impact an entire crowd to be effective. Although our unit had been through non-lethal weapons training before deployment, by the time we got to HKIA, there was no time left for training.

We could only invent tactics on the ground. Initially, we spent two days and nights fist-fighting the hordes of Afghans to maintain control of the airport. Once that was accomplished, we had to maintain the “grind on the gates” with on-the-spot refresher training on Stinger grenades and improvised weapons of opportunity.

Defending the airport’s runway and main gates, our unit went through our advance team’s supply of Stinger grenades and tear gas canisters in a matter of hours.

In both military and civilian terminals, HKIA was a humanitarian disaster. Living conditions for Afghan civilians and US military forces alike were terrible. Refuse, flu, and COVID-19 were rampant. Afghans fought and assaulted each other for real and imagined evacuation opportunities. Military medical personnel treated everyone they could despite the repellant conditions and performed heroically.

Being in the middle of a national capital that had just fallen, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with that longtime enemy and lacking the permission to defend ourselves confidently compounded the palpable sense of terror and urgency. And yet, we completed the mission.

On multiple occasions, C-17s took off or landed with wings directly over our heads as we were restraining an Afghan crowd five meters — five meters — from the runway. In scenarios like these, intermediate force capabilities such as directed energy weapons would be far more useful than grenades and tear gas.

If US military personnel were trained on these systems and the systems were fielded to infantry battalions or Marine Expeditionary Units, they could have saved both Afghan and American lives.

Logistically speaking, the airlift evacuation from Afghanistan was among the most remarkable humanitarian achievements in history. Much has been written about the strategic failures that allowed the Taliban to take Kabul. Less has been said about the tactical and operational lessons learned from Marines and soldiers who endured the full spectrum of conflict.

For two weeks, the most dangerous place in Kabul changed by the hour. Sometimes it was Abbey Gate, where the suicide bombing happened. Other times it was the airport runway, where 200 US Marines pushed several thousand Afghan civilians beyond the flight line.

Other times again, it was the airport terminal, which sustained intermittent sniper fire. Simultaneously, Taliban units established checkpoints around the airport, including south of the main exit.

As we tried to funnel Afghan civilians who entered the airport perimeter out a gate, they realized they were trapped between Taliban bullets and American fists. Most chose our fists.

Intermediate Force for Future Operations

While the men and women I served with did everything within their ability to prepare for the mission, in hindsight, better tools could have been available that would have helped us accomplish the task.

The need to expand time and space while dealing with evolving threats requires further development and integration of force capabilities beyond lethality.

American battlefield leaders have a strategic, operational, and tactical obligation to provide forces with the ability to determine enemy intent at range, neutralize threats before they become lethal, and disrupt, delay, and impair enemies across all domains.

In situations such as infrastructure defense, intermediate force capabilities can help commanders expand decision time and space in ambiguous situations and help to prevent unnecessary destruction and loss of life.

Examples include acoustic hailers, active denial devices that warn or actively disperse individuals and crowds, and similar systems that could hamper or disable vehicles or vessels.

How would US forces accomplish an air evacuation from Taipei or any vulnerable city in the South China Sea? What technology would Americans use to defend and evacuate one of Vietnam’s small Spratly Island civilian settlements?

Consider the ongoing and ever-present risk of how an enemy can hide within and observe from a civilian population in any operational circumstance, including reconnaissance or counter-recon operations.

Even where force is warranted, experience shows that US military personnel have less of an issue of destroying a target and more challenges in defending against what cannot be identified or engaged.

Non-lethal weapons can reduce the risk of moral injury to the people whom US authorities ask to carry out complex missions.

At HKIA, the skills of chaplains were as crucial as combatants for young men and women to process the human tragedy as they decided who would live or die.

At one checkpoint towards the evacuation’s end, the momentum of the mostly male crowd pushed a young Afghan girl to the ground. As a US Marine reached down to help her, a Taliban soldier pointed his rifle at the infantryman, loudly reminding all parties that men were now forbidden to touch women publicly.

Although leadership diffused the tension and the girl stood up on her own, the incident provides a case study of how intermediate force options can help achieve operational goals.

Non-lethal weapons can mitigate strategic risk by providing warfighters with tools that can seize initiative without armed conflict. They offer options that operate below the level of armed conflict. They also provide options that are linked with lethal force and a means to escalate and de-escalate rather than simply projecting lethality in tense and decisive moments.

From the battalion commander to the lowest private, the men and women I worked with showed courage, bravery, and extreme valor. Knowing that daily they were deciding who lived and died in Afghanistan daily, these young men and women went out and risked their lives to do it because their sense of duty demanded it of them.

Training and equipping American forces with non-lethal weapons will give them every chance of succeeding when this inevitable event happens again.

Intermediate force options are necessary to compete against adversaries and enable American veterans to return from tomorrow’s battlefields, wherever they may be, as physically and psychologically intact as possible.

Bill Callen retired from the Marine Corps as a Marine Gunner after 23 years of service.

Prior to promotion to Gunner, Callen spent his time in the infantry, serving in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Marine Divisions.

In 2021, Gunner Callen was awarded the Gunner Henry Lewis Hulbert Trophy for Outstanding Leadership.

The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The Defense Post.

The Defense Post aims to publish a wide range of high-quality opinion and analysis from a diverse array of people – do you want to send us yours? Click here to submit an op-ed.

The post On the Need for Intermediate Force: Operational Lessons From the Afghanistan Evacuation appeared first on The Defense Post.

Galvion has recently received an order for 5,000 SoloPack II lithium-ion rechargeable batteries and a $1.5 million order for additional ancillary cables to further support the USMC’s in-service Portable Power Scavenger Systems.

The SoloPack II batteries ordered will support the USMC’s Fire support and coordination systems using portable, handheld devices to employ supporting arms in consonance with maneuver elements used by Marines.

Galvion’s original 98Wh SoloPack batteries were included in kits when fielded in 2018. This new order for 5,000 SoloPack II will provide more power to better sustain these critical systems. Small, lightweight, and energy-dense, the SoloPack II offers 140Wh of energy (40 percent more power storage capacity than the original SoloPack) while maintaining the familiar, compact form factor users expect from the Nerv Centr® suite of products. SoloPack II fits into a magazine pouch for ease of storage and weighs only 1.65 pounds (750 grams).

In December 2022, Galvion announced an order valued at $11 million to supply a customized Squad Power Manager (SPM) kit to each Marine Expeditionary Force within the Marine Corps, including Reserve Forces.

The USMC’s Portable Power Scavenger System (P2S2) kits include Galvion’s SPM and a selection of cables, connectors, and accessories that provide the ability to scavenge, distribute, and manage power from multiple power sources including solar, Alternating Current, Direct Current, military batteries, NATO plugs, and vehicle cigarette lighter/alternator attachments.

The SPM kit can scavenge power from partially discharged batteries, vehicles, and standard electrical outlets and convert that power into a usable format for powering devices and recharging batteries.

The recent order received for additional ancillary cables will extend and further enhance the functionality of the USMC’s in-service P2S2 kits.

Todd Stirtzinger, CEO at Galvion, said: “The United States Marines are some of the world’s toughest warfighters, and we’re incredibly proud to supply them with equipment that supports their missions. The power supply and management solutions that we provide contribute to a reduction in physical and logistical burden by sustaining power for longer with less weight.”

He continued: “The fact that these orders extend and enhance capabilities that Galvion has already supplied to Marines is an example of our commitment to responding to the ever-changing needs of our customers. We’re seeing a number of repeat orders from partners across the globe, which means we’re doing something right; this latest round of orders from the USMC is a proud moment for our whole team.”

The post Galvion Recharges USMC With Multiple Power and Data Product Orders appeared first on The Defense Post.

The “single-person-portable” LittoralLens capability runs automated measurements of littoral surface water velocities and wave data to calculate movements in real time.

It was designed to support tactical decisions for operational maneuvers from the sea (OMFTS), which combines naval and marine operability between sea and land.

LittoralLens can assist manned and unmanned assets, including amphibious combat vehicles, across shore-to-sea and vice versa.

“The system’s small-form-factor enables onboard analysis on mobile platforms, such as a lightweight tactical vehicle like the Polaris MRZR,” NRL Ocean Sciences Principal Investigator and LittoralLens Co-Inventor Blake Landry explained.

“LittoralLens estimates Surf Observations parameters to provide Modified Surf Index values, a mission-critical parameter that characterizes the surf zone and serves as a go/no threshold for US Marine Corps OMFTS.”

Computer-Based Technology

NRL highlighted that the LittoralLens’ point-and-shoot functionality is powered by a patented tracking velocimetry algorithm that is integrated with specialized hardware to sustain image processing in austere coastal environments.

Information gathered is then consolidated with other measurements collected by multiple sensors and unmanned aerial systems on the user’s Android Tactical Assault Kit handheld display and observation dashboard for on-site readings, future techniques, and training purposes.

“The LittoralLens system automatically estimates surf zone statistics via custom developed stereo reconstruction and geo-registration algorithms integrated with feature tracking routines,” LittoralLens Co-Inventor and Lead Algorithm Developer Carlo Zuniga-Zamalloa stated.

Development Under TechSolutions Program

NRL wrote that the LittoralLens effort is part of the broader TechSolutions program, which seeks innovative prototypes to address modern problems for sailors and marines.

TechSolutions is led by the agency in partnership with the Office of Naval Research-Global (ONR-Global) and is funded by the Marine Corps Surf Observation Tool for Littoral Expeditionary Operations project.

Related technologies are being assembled with the help of the US Army Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC) Field Research Facility.

“TechSolutions links warfighters to the government science and technology community to help develop needed technologies as quickly as possible,” ONR-Global TechSolutions Program Director Jason Payne remarked.

“Our goal is to have a solution prototype in the hands of the requesting Sailor or Marine within 12 months.”

“This August, NRL, ONR-Global TechSolutions, and US Army ERDC are scheduled to conduct a final concept demonstration at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, in Oceanside, California, at the Technical Concept Experiment and to put the technology in the hands of Marines that originated the request for a solution of ONR-Global TechSolutions Program in the first place.”

The post US Navy Tests Computer-Enabled Imaging System for Littoral Warfare appeared first on The Defense Post.

The effort will supply a range of critical services to improve cyber assets and operational performance of the service’s subordinate commands.

It will incorporate a “full-spectrum” of planning, intelligence and exercise analysis, teleconference and audio-visual support, knowledge management, and help desk assistance.

Clear Ridge said it will apply its “extensive experience and cutting-edge” solutions to reinforce decision-making, implementation, and sustainment works associated with the marines’ cyber missions.

Work will encompass the Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command, Cyberspace Warfare Group, Information Command, and the Joint Force Headquarters – Cyber.

The contract has a one-year base period with an additional four-year option. The company noted that the deal will cost about $113 million if all options are exercised.

“CRD is committed to providing unparalleled support to our Marine Corps partners,” COO Chris Comstock said.

“Our team is dedicated to ensuring that MARFORCYBER and its subordinate commands have the resources and expertise they need to navigate the complex and evolving cyber threat landscape.”

CEO Jeffrey Bullock added that the award “is a testament to our team’s expertise and commitment to delivering innovative cyber solutions that enhance the operational effectiveness of our nation’s cyber forces.”

Recent US Cyber Operations Projects

The US teamed with IBM in July to provide support for the government’s Cybersecurity Protection and Response partner nations in Europe and Eurasia.

The same month, the US invested $32 million in the Defense Health Agency’s cybersecurity risk management. A similar task costing $60.7 million was awarded to KBR in March.

In May, the US Air Force awarded General Dynamics a contract to amplify cybersecurity operations under the service’s Civil Engineer Center. Simultaneously, Accenture signed a separate contract to maintain the US Navy’s unified security platform.

The post Maryland Company to Support US Marine Corps Cyber Operations appeared first on The Defense Post.

This as the Marine Corps Systems Command issued a formal notice to potential vendors who can deliver rifle-mounted solutions for detecting, identifying, tracking, and defeating hostile drones.

These include radio frequency and global positioning system jammers, ammunition, and advanced rifle optics that lock onto an incoming drone.

According to the notice, the attachment should allow infantrymen to effectively defend themselves against group 1 and 2 unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

Group 1 UAS refers to drones weighing less than 20 pounds (9.1 kilograms) such as the RQ-11 Raven, while Group 2 drones are those that weigh 21 to 55 pounds (9.5 to 25 kilograms) like Boeing’s ScanEagle.

“With the proliferation of UAS as a threat on the modern battlefield, Marines require the ability to maintain awareness … and conduct self-defense against threat UAS,” the notice wrote. “Every unit down to the individual Marine, regardless of geographic location on the battlefield, is vulnerable [to drone attacks].”

Squad and Platoon-Level Solutions

The US Marine Corps said it is looking for anti-UAS attachments that are suitable for squad and platoon-level organizations.

For squad level, solutions may include a non-kinetic, directional jammer and a passive detection system that can sense an incoming drone’s radio frequency.

External, body-worn components such as tablets, bracelets, earpieces, or glasses can also be utilized for receiving alerts, warnings, or notifications.

Meanwhile, platoon-level solutions may require non-kinetic, omni-directional jammers and bigger, more sophisticated sensors.

These components can be vehicle or tripod mounted.

The service has made it clear that potential solutions must be able to effectively operate in adverse weather and operational conditions, including snowy, rainy, dusty, and low light.

Vendors should also be able to provide training, integration, testing, production, and maintenance support if selected.

The post US Marine Corps Seeking Counter-Drone Attachment for M27 Rifle appeared first on The Defense Post.

Under the agreement, the company will deliver life-cycle modernization, integration, technical, and engineering services for the aircraft.

Associated tasks involve the supply of operational and logistics solutions throughout the project.

The contract encompasses all ten UC-45Ds under Marine Corps service across five domestic and international sites.

Work on the modernization effort began in June and will have a one-year base period with an additional four-year option.

Utilizing Augmented Reality

Amentum wrote that the UC-35D contract will be facilitated through the firm’s proprietary Augmented Reality (AR) Remote Expert and MerlinMX predictive analytics systems.

These technologies leverage a virtual environment to enable project coordination between on-site personnel and off-site subject matter experts.

Users can utilize the AR platforms through headsets, enabling real-time collaboration through program managers, engineers, safety specialists, and government representatives.

“Showcasing our unparalleled expertise in ensuring readiness for complex, no-fail missions solidifies us as the premier partner for the US Marine Corps, particularly in their mission-critical operations involving the rapid movement of personnel and cargo, as well as urgent medical evacuations,” Amentum President of the Critical Missions Group Dr. Karl Spinnenweber said.

The UC-35D System

The UC-35D Citation Encore is based on the Cessna Citation V business jet introduced in the early 1990s.

Since 2001, the UC-35D has been operational for executive transport, reconnaissance, drug interdiction, and cargo airlift missions under the US Marine Corps and Navy.

It has a length of 48.9 feet (14.9 meters), a wingspan of 52.2 feet (16.5 meters), and a maximum takeoff weight of 16,300 pounds (7,394 kilograms).

The aircraft is powered by twin Pratt & Whitney PW535A engines for a maximum speed of 449 knots (575 miles/925 kilometers per hour) and a range of 1,800 miles (2,897 kilometers).

The post Amentum to Modernize US Marine Corps Citation Encore Fleet appeared first on The Defense Post.

The move is part of a government plan to relocate the USMC Futenma Air Station from Okinawa’s densely populated city of Ginowan to Nago City in southern Japan.

Defense sources told local media outlet NHK that concrete seawalls will be built around the planned reclamation area to help keep American troops and the facility safe.

They also said a test to drive piles at Oura Bay was conducted earlier this week to reinforce the seabed, which has been found to be soft.

But according to the Okinawa prefectural government, which opposes the relocation, the pile driving was not a test but the start of reinforcement work.

Official construction of the new seawall is expected to start on August 1.

Upgraded US Presence

The US military recently announced plans to boost its presence in Japan by replacing older fighter jets with F-15EXs and F-35s.

American troops at the Kadena Air Base in Okinawa will receive 36 F-15EX Eagle II aircraft manufactured by Boeing to replace 48 F-15C/Ds.

A total of 48 F-35A Lightning IIs will also arrive at the Misawa Air Base in northern Japan to reinforce the 36 F-16 Fighting Falcons stationed there.

Additionally, the US Marine Corps said it will “modify” the number of F-35B stealth fighters at its air station in Iwakuni. However, the service did not provide exact figures.

In a separate announcement, the US Air Force said it is resuming V-22 Osprey operations in Tokyo following a fatal crash in 2023.

‘Ironclad Commitment’

According to the US Department of Defense, the modernization of America’s tactical capabilities in Japan is part of a more than $10-billion investment to enhance the alliance between the two nations.

It is aimed at bolstering regional deterrence and strengthening peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

“The department’s plan to station the Joint Force’s most advanced tactical aircraft in Japan demonstrates the ironclad US commitment to the defense of Japan and both countries’ shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” it said.

Both Washington and Tokyo have boosted their national security in the face of China’s growing assertiveness in the region.

In a joint military exercise earlier this year, American and Japanese forces explicitly tagged Beijing as their “hypothetical enemy.”

The post Japan to Fortify US Military Installation in Okinawa appeared first on The Defense Post.

Called the T-SOAR (Scalable Open Architecture Reconnaissance), the pod mimics an enemy’s radar and communication emissions and sends them back to the source.

“What they bring with them is a sensing and making sense capability,” Seapower quoted Commandant of the Marine Corps General Eric M. Smith as saying at a Brookings Institution event last week. 

“Some of the programs are classified. Some of the pods that go on our MQ-9s are classified. It’s called a T-SOAR pod, and what it does is it can mimic things that are sent to it that it detects, turn it around, and send it back so that it becomes a black hole. It becomes mostly undetectable.”

‘Invisible Cloak’

It appears to be a derivative of the SOAR pod developed by General Atomics and L3Harris, and is likely to have already been tested by the US Air Force in 2021 in the form of the Reaper Defense Electronic Support System.

The 634-pound (287-kilogram) SOAR “provides long-range detection, identification, and location of radar and communication signals of interest,” according to General Atomics.

“SOAR enables MQ-9 or other aircraft operators to provide standoff surveillance — seeing threats before threats can see the aircraft — and communicate actionable intelligence.”

Sensing Platform Against China

It’s not clear how many of the 20 MQ-9A Block 5 the service is acquiring will be equipped with the pod, which is integral to turning the two-decade-old hunter-killer platform into a sensing one.

The US Marines want the extended-range Reapers primarily for communications and data relay, electronic warfare, maritime domain awareness, and ISR missions in the Indo-Pacific against China.

The aircraft provides a capability leap over the much smaller legacy RQ-7 Shadow and RQ-21 Blackjack drones, with 18 expected to be fielded by 2025.

“If you’re going to be out-sticked by the adversary, then in terms of sensing and in terms of striking, you’re of no value,” Smith added. 

“You have to be able to sense at range. You have to be able to make sense of what’s happening. You have to be able to share that data ubiquitously across the battlespace with the joint force, which is why our MQ-9 is so important.”

The post US Marine MQ-9 Reapers to Carry ‘Invisible Cloak’ Pod appeared first on The Defense Post.

An AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter operated by the US Marine Corps was used to fire the live missile as part of an expeditionary strike exercise in the Philippine Sea.

According to the service, the weapon scored a direct hit against a towed target vessel, causing it to descend into the ocean.

The successful test highlighted the JAGM’s ability to defend key maritime space against hostile surface ships.

It also allowed the USMC to demonstrate its capability to “deliver precision strikes at sea and safeguard a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

In 2022, the US military tested the JAGM against land targets to further refine its employability in expeditionary advanced base operations.

Designed for High-Value Targets

Development of the AGM-179 JAGM began more than a decade ago to replace the legendary and highly reliable Hellfire missile.

It was designed for helicopters, drones, and other fixed-wing platforms to destroy high-value maritime and land targets — whether stationary or moving.

The weapon utilizes a multi-mode seeker to ensure a precision strike even in adverse weather and obscured battlefield conditions.

It also boasts a fire-and-forget capability and can withstand a variety of countermeasures.

“JAGM has repeatedly proven that it can be counted on when it matters most, providing mission-focused offensive and defense capabilities and maintaining a competitive edge against any potential adversaries,” Lockheed vice president Jerry Brode said.

In 2020, the JAGM failed to achieve its desired effects on a target during a live-fire test, prompting Lockheed to improve the missile.

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