{"id":11899,"date":"2022-07-18T20:15:26","date_gmt":"2022-07-18T20:15:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2022\/07\/18\/marine-corps-wants-to-test-out-attritable-partner-drones-new-mq-9-payloads\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T20:04:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T20:04:46","slug":"marine-corps-wants-to-test-out-attritable-partner-drones-new-mq-9-payloads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/unmanned\/2022\/07\/18\/marine-corps-wants-to-test-out-attritable-partner-drones-new-mq-9-payloads\/","title":{"rendered":"Marine Corps wants to test out partner drones, new MQ-9 Reaper payloads"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Marine Corps wants to increase its rapid prototyping fund by nearly a factor of six in 2023 as it leans hard into development of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2022\/05\/06\/marine-3-star-technology-remade-combined-arms-the-corps-must-adjust\/\" target=\"_blank\">new and customized unmanned aerial systems<\/a> and devotes serious resources to human performance improvements and other high-tech capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fiscal 2023 defense budget request calls for nearly $63 million for rapid prototyping \u2015 up from $11.6 million in fiscal 2022 and just $5.5 million in 2021. Those funds would be spent by the Marine Corps rapid capabilities office, established by then-Commandant Gen. Robert Neller in 2016 to fast-track \u201cemergent and disruptive technologies\u201d to the fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The lion\u2019s share of requested 2023 funds will be allotted to three efforts: a \u201cFamily of Integrated Targeting Cells,\u201d or FITC, project, with $20.5 million in funds; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2020\/10\/12\/marine-corps-creates-new-mos-for-mq-9-reaper-pilots\/\" target=\"_blank\">enhancement to the MQ-9 Reaper drone<\/a>, with $14.5 million; and development of low-cost attritable aircraft, at $14.4 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Marine Corps affirms with a high degree of confidence that the programs in this line item are executable,\u201d the service stated in budget documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2022\/05\/06\/marine-3-star-technology-remade-combined-arms-the-corps-must-adjust\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/LTG-Smith-change-of-command-IMEF.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Marine 3-star: Technology remade combined arms, the Corps must adjust<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">\u201cCombined arms is more than towed cannon artillery, tanks and aviation,\u201d Lt. Gen. Karsten Heckl said. \u201cIt\u2019s information, cyber and space.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All prototypes to be assessed, whether they\u2019re a commercial off-the-shelf technology, a developmental item or something in between, and need to be at technology readiness level seven or higher, according to the documents. This means they\u2019re at or near operational capability and ready for a demonstration in an operational environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And while details are relatively scarce, demos do appear to be on the calendar for 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The funding for the Family of Integrated Targeting Cells will support the start of key test events, according to budget documents. This test effort appears to support the broader force with a focus on the Pacific.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Senate version of the NDAA included a $245 million increase for Joint All Domain Command and Control, or JADC2, which includes creation of a Joint Force Headquarters at Indo-Pacific Command and \u201cacceleration and integration\u201d of these targeting cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The idea of integrating and streamlining targeting operations for the benefit of the joint force has been a talking point for decades, but the existential threat of China in the Pacific \u2015 a particular focus for the Marine Corps as it prepares for future missions focused on the littorals and operations from small expeditionary bases in austere environments \u2015 has brought with it a greater sense of urgency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Marine Corps\u2019 investment in experimentation with attritable aircraft, essentially, cheap and plentiful drones that can be deployed in swarms or on riskier missions because their loss won\u2019t break the bank, is a relatively new line of effort for the service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plans include the start of \u201cdevelopment of partnering crewed assets with attritable, risk-worthy uncrewed assets that will employ weapons, sensors, and communications suites to execute mission sets in an operationally relevant environment,\u201d budget documents state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This description aligns with \u201cloyal wingman\u201d drone concepts such as those developed by Northrop Grumman and Boeing. Boeing, which has partnered with the Royal Australian Air Force on the effort, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flightglobal.com\/military-uavs\/boeing-pitches-ats-loyal-wingman-uav-to-global-air-forces\/146211.article\">debuted an attritable unmanned aircraft that can partner with manned fighters<\/a> ahead of the 2021 Dubai Air Show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the <a href=\"https:\/\/aviationweek.com\/defense-space\/aircraft-propulsion\/usaf-defines-price-range-attritable-uas\">Air Force has defined \u201cattritable\u201d aircraft <\/a>as costing between $2 million and $20 million, Marine Corps budget documents describe the prototypes it wants as \u201chighly attritable,\u201d indicating it is after an even cheaper and less exquisite platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to giving warfighters greater situational awareness on the ground and in the air, the unmanned systems the Marine Corps wants to develop need to be \u201ccapable of operating in austere environments,\u201d documents state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This echoes the priorities of Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger, stated in his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hqmc.marines.mil\/Portals\/142\/Docs\/CMC38%20Force%20Design%202030%20Report%20Phase%20I%20and%20II.pdf?ver=2020-03-26-121328-460\">Force Design 2030 planning document<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this vision for the force, he said the Marine Corps was overinvested in short-range, nonlethal flying drones, but fell short when it came to long-range unmanned systems that could carry lethal payload and operate both from ships and from shore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He directed planners to focus on range and endurance when it came to unmanned platforms \u201cgiven the expanse and non-contiguous nature of IndoPacific geography and the ever-expanding range of threat systems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In that 2020 document, he also said the force needed six active-component unmanned aerial vehicle squadrons, up from the current three. And after a long journey to acquire MQ-9 Reaper drones, the first Marine Corps UAVs that fit into the largest \u201cgroup 5 UAS\u201d category, the service is ready in 2023 to innovate and put these systems through their paces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After several years of leasing Reapers from General Atomics ASI, t<a href=\"https:\/\/breakingdefense.com\/2021\/10\/from-lease-to-own-marines-get-two-mq-9-reapers-of-their-own\/\">he Corps took possession of two of its own MQ-9s i<\/a>n 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2022, Berger announced the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fedscoop.com\/marines-to-establish-new-drone-squadron-in-hawaii-to-counter-china\/\">service would stand up a first Reaper squadron in Hawaii <\/a>as part of its Pacific focus. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedrive.com\/the-war-zone\/new-kit-will-allow-mq-9-reaper-to-fly-from-navy-flattops\">In 2021 GA-ASI also debuted a short<\/a> takeoff-and-landing, or STOL, version of the MQ-9 that can launch from ships, a modification that would allow the drone to better support Marine expeditionary units and provide cover and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance as Marines move from ship to shore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In May, the Navy published a <a href=\"https:\/\/sam.gov\/opp\/9636817d6825472887a6e4571ec59b1a\/view\">presolicitation notice<\/a> announcing its intent to procure hardware needed to integrate the SkyTower 1 Pod onto the Reaper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This would give the drone Link-16 networking and communication capabilities, allowing for communication and coordination with ground forces. Marines would receive that capability later in 2022, <a href=\"https:\/\/insidedefense.com\/share\/214931\">InsideDefense<\/a> reported, adding that additional electronic warfare capabilities are on the way as well as payloads that enhance the Reaper\u2019s ability to conduct essential Marine Corps missions in the Pacific, such as airborne early warning and maritime surface search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier in 2022, Berger suggested the Corps\u2019 need for organic intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance would drive it to invest in even more large drone platforms. The service scrapped plans for a ship-based drone called MUX in 2020, but still sees a need for a capable and deadly eye in the sky that can operate wherever Marines do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSo absolutely, we\u2019re going to expand in Group 5, large-scale, big-wing, medium-altitude, long-endurance, uncrewed aircraft,\u201d Berger said, according to a report from <a href=\"https:\/\/seapowermagazine.org\/berger-marines-need-more-mq-9-drones-for-organic-isr\/\">Seapower<\/a>. \u201cThat\u2019s so we can have, for the naval force, persistent organic ISR access from the MEF [Marine Expeditionary Force] level on down to the squad level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The FITC, MQ-9 and attritable aircraft development efforts are all expected to be complete by the end of 2024, according to budget documents.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Marine Corps wants to increase its rapid prototyping fund by nearly a factor of 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