The Marine Corps is planning around unmanned systems, not treating them as an add-on
U.S. Marine Corps officials said this week that drones are set to change how the service operates, with unmanned aircraft being developed for both fighter support and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. Speaking at the Modern Day Marine conference in Washington, officials described a future in which unmanned systems become part of core aviation and sensing functions rather than niche capabilities.
The nearer-term focal point is a Marine effort to field drone wingmen for fighter aircraft. Col. Richard Rusnok of the Cunningham Group said the service expects to put hardware in the hands of troops before the end of the decade, with operational testing by the VMX-1 squadron beginning in about 2029.
The first round centers on the XQ-58 Valkyrie team
Earlier this year, the Marine Corps selected Kratos’s XQ-58 Valkyrie as part of a team led by Northrop Grumman for the first phase of its Collaborative Combat Aircraft effort, known as Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft, or MUX TACAIR.
According to Rusnok, the Marines are now working with contractors to adapt the aircraft for conventional takeoff and landing by adding landing gear. Over the next several years, the service plans developmental testing to verify that the aircraft is safe and effective in that configuration, while also integrating mission systems before moving into operational test milestones.
