Photo By Sgt. Amelia Kang | U.S. Marines assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Philippine Marines...... read more read more
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PALAWAN PROVINCE, Philippines – U.S. Marines from Battalion Landing Team 1/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, shared new technologies and tactics for small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) and counter-UAS during training with the Philippine Marine Corps’ 3rd Marine Brigade at Tarumpitao Point, Palawan, Philippines, Oct. 17-21.
The training, part of Exercise KAMANDAG 8, strengthened the close ties between U.S. and Philippine forces while enhancing their ability to conduct operations through combined realistic training and information exchanges.
KAMANDAG is an annual Philippine Marine Corps and U.S. Marine Corps-led exercise taking place Oct. 15-25 aimed at enhancing the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ defense and humanitarian capabilities by providing valuable training in combined operations with foreign militaries in the advancement of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. This year marks the eighth iteration of this exercise and includes participants from the French Armed Forces, Royal Thai Marine Corps, and Indonesian Marine Corps; including continued participation from the Australian Defense Force, British Armed Forces, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, and Republic of Korea Marine Corps.
At the expeditionary advanced base established as a training site on Palawan, new equipment was demonstrated to the 3rd Brigade Marines that is unique to BLT 1/5. It’s a device designed by Marines called a “Skyraider payload and marking attachment,” or SPAM-A, and is currently being refined during deployment with the 15th MEU. This custom 3D-printed attachment mounts to the underside of a SkyRaider, with cylindrical holding bays that can release multiple munitions at the command of the sUAS operator.
“We designed the SPAM-A to be able to drop most lever-safety munitions, such as smoke grenades, M67 fragmentation grenades, or incendiaries,” said U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Isaac Lane, the BLT 1/5 intelligence chief and a native of Mobile, Alabama. “For smoke, you can send out the SkyRaider and drop it exactly where you want, like at a breach site where you need obscuration, and it’s much farther than anyone could ever throw it.”
Lane, one of the Marines who helped design and develop the SPAM-A since its inception in early 2023, said his battalion has also demonstrated the system's ability to attack precise targets with M67 fragmentation grenades, with one sUAS locating the target and observing effects after cueing the other one to attack.
During the training exchange on Palawan, Lane demonstrated to Philippine Marines up close how the retractable hook released the SPAM-A’s bays. Philippine Marines practiced loading the bays before flying the sUAS to show how payloads slide and drop out to allow the “spoon” levers of the grenades to fly off, activating the fuses while descending.
The next development Lane said he is looking to pursue is adapting the SkyRaider’s field of view to allow for even more accurate drops and targeting.
One of the most significant aspects of BLT 1/5's training during Exercise KAMANDAG 8 was the focus on incorporating sUAS capabilities at the small-unit level. BLT 1/5 has pushed this capability down to every platoon and squad, empowering Marines to have live video feeds and other real-time data at their fingertips.
Philippine Marines also demonstrated their sUAS devices and shared their methods of employing them to support their units. They also spent time learning some of BLT 1/5’s emerging tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) to integrate sUAS in small-unit tactics and in new ways, such as forward observation.
The capability of forward observing with sUAS provides units with an innovative approach to enabling fire missions and enhancing battlefield coordination, just as a human observer would, with the added advantages of a high vantage point and rapid maneuverability. A sUAS operator can use a combination of location data, compass bearings, distance estimation and terrain association to locate an enemy position. In real time, they can relay target information to a company or battalion headquarters for conducting call-for-fire missions with mortars, artillery or close air support.
"We are constantly seeking to improve our use of these systems, so the consistent integration of small UAS into training teaches us how to significantly enhance our situational awareness and capability wherever we choose to operate," said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Justin Shin, intelligence officer, BLT 1/5. "Training alongside the Philippine Marine Corps during KAMANDAG allows us to refine our tactics in a coastal environment they know well and then share our small UAS best practices with each other."
Philippine and U.S. Marines spent multiple days using their sUAS for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as route reconnaissance. Lane said the powerful camera suites of BLT 1/5’s sUAS, paired with new computer software, offers more options for small unit leaders and Marines on the ground than ever before. Videos transmitted from the air can now be quickly rendered as a 3D model, allowing leaders to better understand their operating environment and make better-informed decisions before or during missions.
"As we deploy these systems at the squad level, we're focused on building a cadre of professionalized operators who can plan and execute layered airspace deconfliction schemes, control fires, attack targets, conduct resupplies, apply countermeasures to enemy drones, and understand how to defeat the enemy's countermeasures," said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Nicholas Freeman, commanding officer of BLT 1/5.
“We're also gathering invaluable data on how to best integrate sUAS with other automated tools to facilitate rapid reconnaissance, target identification, and mission planning for maneuver elements,” said Freeman. “Our [noncommissioned officers] in this cadre are now developing new TTPs that not only enhance our ability to conduct UAS, but also improve how small units operate in contested environments where UAS threats are prevalent."
These new TTPs are designed to maximize the effectiveness of sUAS in the complex environments Philippine and U.S. Marines may operate in together, such as urban combat areas, dense jungles, or during maritime operations. The lessons learned by BLT 1/5 during KAMANDAG 8 and throughout their 15th MEU deployment could shape how forward-deployed forces incorporate these technologies in the future.
However, as new technology emerges, so do potential threats that must be guarded against.
As friendly sUAS took on the role of hostile drones at the EAB, U.S. and Philippine Marines turned to counter-UAS technologies to bolster force protection. Using tools like spectrum analyzers to detect threats before they approached, 15th MEU Marines demonstrated the employment of portable radio-frequency jammers and the NightFighter II, a handheld counter-UAS tool designed for use in austere environments. Capable of neutralizing a hostile UAS at long range, the NightFigher II disrupts the drone’s signals before it can carry out its mission.
"The integration of counter-UAS systems into our training provides a crucial layer of defense for our forces," said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Melanie Roy, technical information operations officer, 15th MEU. "In today's operational environment, UAS threats are becoming increasingly common, and having the capability to detect and neutralize these threats ensures we maintain a tactical advantage anywhere."
The 15th MEU is the first deployed MEU to employ a NightFighter II system ashore while training with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific. 15th MEU has also trained with counter-UAS devices aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4), said Roy.
15th MEU and BLT 1/5's work sharing practices and experimenting with sUAS and counter-UAS operations during KAMANDAG ensured that both U.S. and Philippine Marines enhanced their abilities to employ new technologies that continue to shape the modern battlefield.
"The work we're doing here will help refine how we and our Philippine partners may fight together in the future," said Freeman. "We're not just incorporating new technology — we're building habits of constant learning, adaptation and problem-solving as new threats and opportunities emerge. Paired with well-drilled techniques and procedures, these habits will give our Marines an enduring edge in every successive engagement."
| Date Taken: | 10.23.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.23.2024 11:53 |
| Story ID: | 483753 |
| Location: | TARUMPITAO POINT, PH |
| Web Views: | 416 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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