Marines Archives

Osprey grounded again

Posted on December 10, 2024 by alert5

The Pentagon has once again grounded its entire fleet of V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. This comes after a worrying incident at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico on Nov. 20, where a CV-22 Osprey experienced a near-crash shortly after takeoff. Initial investigations suggest that weakened metal components in a critical part may have been a contributing factor.

An Estonian Special Operations Forces operator prepares to be hoisted up to a
U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey, assigned to 352d Special Operations Wing, during Fast Rope Insertion and Extraction System training near Amari, Estonia, Sep. 3, 2019. During the week-long training, U.S. and Estonian special operation forces partnered on FRIES familiarization, casualty evacuation and rapidly loading and off-loading a tactical vehicle onto the aircraft. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Pena)

U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18s to receive upgraded LITENING targeting pods

Posted on December 6, 2024 by alert5

Northrop Grumman has been tapped to provide a significant upgrade to the U.S. Marine Corps’ F/A-18 fleet, enhancing the aircraft’s targeting capabilities with its Advanced Tactical Data Links (ATDL) technology integrated into the LITENING targeting pods. This move marks a major leap forward in data transfer speeds, equipping Marine aviators with the ability to make decisions more swiftly and effectively in the heat of battle.

US Govermen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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Valkyrie demonstrates kill chain closure at Emerald Flag

Posted on December 6, 2024 by alert5

For the first time in a large-force exercise, the United States Marine Corps (USMC) successfully demonstrated cooperative kill chain closure between crewed and uncrewed strike platforms, featuring Kratos’ XQ-58A Valkyrie. The attritable, runway-independent UAV, designed to support manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) operations, was a key participant in Emerald Flag 2024. The Valkyrie was developed under the Marine Corps’ Penetrating Affordable Autonomous Collaborative Killer – Portfolio (PAACK-P) program.

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Blake Wiles

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3d Marine Littoral Regiment takes charge of NMESIS

Posted on November 28, 2024November 28, 2024 by alert5

The 3d Marine Littoral Regiment (3d MLR) has formally accepted the Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS). A ceremony was held on Nov. 26 at Marine Corps Base Hawaii to mark the occasion. NMESIS is a truck-mounted, ground-based anti-ship missile launcher. It provides the Marines with a significant boost in their ability to control access to coastal areas and deny the use of the seas to adversaries, a concept known as “sea denial”.

U.S. Marines with 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division, participate in a ceremony on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Nov. 26, 2024. At the ceremony, 3d MLR officially received the Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System from Marine Corps Systems Command, becoming the first U.S. Marine Corps unit to field the system. The NMESIS provides 3d MLR with enhanced sea denial capabilities and maritime lethality. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jacqueline C. Parsons)

U.S. Marine Corps Reaper makes first flight at Cherry Point

Posted on November 22, 2024 by alert5

The U.S. Marine Corps marked a new era in its embrace of unmanned aviation on Nov. 21 when a General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper flew for the first time from Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina.