{"id":2567150,"date":"2023-04-05T11:33:38","date_gmt":"2023-04-05T15:33:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-1016567-4521551.cloudwaysapps.com\/plato-data\/how-the-marines-will-use-uncrewed-tech-according-to-acquisitions-boss\/"},"modified":"2023-04-05T11:33:38","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T15:33:38","slug":"how-the-marines-will-use-uncrewed-tech-according-to-acquisitions-boss","status":"publish","type":"station","link":"https:\/\/platodata.io\/plato-data\/how-the-marines-will-use-uncrewed-tech-according-to-acquisitions-boss\/","title":{"rendered":"How the Marines will use uncrewed tech, according to acquisitions boss"},"content":{"rendered":"

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. \u2014 Drones, robots and other uncrewed technologies will play an increasingly vital role in U.S. Marine Corps operations, according to the leader of the service\u2019s acquisition command.<\/p>\n

Brig. Gen. David Walsh of Marine Corps Systems Command <\/b>laid out the prospective uses of drones and robots April 4 at the Navy League\u2019s Sea-Air-Space conference<\/a> in National Harbor, Maryland. He also detailed the tripwires, technical or otherwise, that could hamper effectiveness in the field.<\/p>\n

The Corps\u2019 experimentation with systems that require no crew comes as part of an ambitious revamp of the service. Called Force Design 2030<\/a>, the plan seeks to make Marines nimbler and less detectable in contested areas. A Force Design document from 2022 mentions the Long Range Unmanned Surface Vessel and \u201cswarming\u201d unmanned aircraft systems, among others, as an example. It also calls for drone capabilities to \u201cexpand and increase dramatically.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything from what we\u2019re doing with LRUSV, we\u2019re starting to experiment with those types of platforms, from small to large,\u201d Walsh said. \u201cThey can move supplies and people and weapons around the battlefield,\u201d especially in dispersed or treacherous conditions in the Indo-Pacific, he said.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how the Marine Corps may use uncrewed technology, according to Walsh:<\/p>\n

A \u2018persistent sensor\u2019<\/h2>\n

Uncrewed systems will be a \u201cpersistent sensor\u201d on battlefields<\/a> of the future, Walsh said, capable of spying in places too distant or too chaotic <\/b>to explore.<\/p>\n

\u201cPart of our role as a stand-in force is to do reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance,\u201d he said, referring to the concept of Marines constantly positioned close to an adversary. <\/b>\u201cSo, this is persistent eyes on the battlefield, on the shipping lanes, on the sea lanes, that allow us to identify targets, maintain custody of those targets and\u201d act accordingly.<\/p>\n

Logistics<\/h2>\n

The Marine Corps\u2019 logistics system is especially in need of modernization<\/a>, Commandant Gen. David Berger has said.<\/p>\n

The Corps last month published an updated logistics doctrine for the first time since 1997, in an effort to adapt to an increasingly contested environment. Drones will be a part of the Corps\u2019 new logistics strategy, according to the doctrine.<\/p>\n

Walsh said Tuesday that there is a \u201chuge opportunity\u201d for machines when it comes to shuttling resources<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Can you hear me now?<\/h2>\n

Uncrewed tech could also serve as a communications relay, a means to boost signals and link far-flung Marines who <\/b>would otherwise be disconnected and at risk of attack.<\/p>\n

\u201cAgain, as we\u2019re spread out in smaller units \u2014 extending out communications lines and maintaining communications<\/a>, sharing data that we get from those sensors to somebody that can have an effect on target is really, really important,\u201d Walsh said.<\/p>\n

Electronic warfare<\/h2>\n

Uncrewed systems \u201cof course\u201d can play a role in \u201ceffects, fires, all-domain fires,\u201d Walsh said.<\/p>\n

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U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. David Walsh, the leader of Marine Corps Systems Command, takes note during a discussion at the Sea-Air-Space conference in National Harbor, Maryland, on April 4, 2023. (Colin Demarest\/C4ISRNET) <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Autonomous or remotely piloted vehicles could also be quickly jeopardized by foreign jamming or hacking<\/a>, Walsh warned. Such invisible attacks would leave them ripe for interdiction.<\/p>\n

\u201cOperating in that contested EW environment, that contested spectrum, we have to be able to maintain control of those platforms and also be able to share the information those platforms are gathering,\u201d Walsh said. \u201cWe have concerns about cybersecurity, especially looking at some of the commercial platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both China and Russia<\/a> are thought capable of interfering with U.S. networks and electronics. And given the heightened importance of cyber operations in a potential conflict, the Corps has emphasized the need to recruit and retain Marines with cyber skills.<\/p>\n

Power supply<\/h2>\n

Ensuring uncrewed tech has enough power to keep going will be critical. And the matter is only complicated by the way Marines expect to fight in the future: in smaller groups, jumping from island to island, under constant threat.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe have concerns about power and energy<\/a>. We need to fuel and power these systems somehow,\u201d Walsh said. \u201cGetting fuel, getting power, getting electricity to keep these things flying or operating is a challenge for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Corps this year published its Installation and Logistics 2030 strategy, which examines supply chains under fire.<\/p>\n

In remarks accompanying the report, Lt. Gen. Edward Banta, deputy commandant for installations and logistics, described the U.S.<\/a> as having been \u201cspoiled by two decades of conducting strategic and operational logistics in a permissive environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

The development process<\/h2>\n

Uncrewed systems are a \u201cfast-moving technology,\u201d which means nailing down the best of the best and getting it to those who need it is difficult, Walsh said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe acquisition, keeping up with that, to ensure our Marines are able to take advantage of the cutting-edge technology<\/a>, is always a challenge,\u201d he said. \u201cSo as we look at those challenges, bringing the best of what industry has to the hands of our Marines, we want to be as agile as we can, particularly around capabilities, not so much platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Colin Demarest is a reporter at C4ISRNET, where he covers military networks, cyber and IT. Colin previously covered the Department of Energy and its National Nuclear Security Administration \u2014 namely Cold War cleanup and nuclear weapons development \u2014 for a daily newspaper in South Carolina. Colin is also an award-winning photographer.<\/p>\n

Irene Loewenson is a staff reporter for Marine Corps Times. She joined Military Times as an editorial fellow in August 2022. She is a graduate of Williams College, where she was the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n