Reinvigorating Squad Level Units for U.S. Marine Corps Dismounted Combat Capabilities

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1 Reinvigorating Squad Level Units for U.S. Marine Corps Dismounted Combat Capabilities Mark Richter Director, Marine Expeditionary Rifle Squad Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico VA 13 March 2017 Brief for Future Soldier Technology

2 MERS Mission Manage the Marine Rifle Squad as a System. Revised MERS Initial Capability Document approved 13 Aug Coordinate the integration and modernization of everything worn, carried, used, or consumed by the rifle squad including integration of equipped Marines in mobility platforms. Provide the ability to conduct systems engineering, human factors, integration assessments, and spiral development in a reduced time cycle by operating the Gruntworks Squad Integration Facility as a Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) provided resource. 2

3 Operating Concept What makes MERS and Gruntworks effective is the Triad: The MERS Team Sponsor: Infantry Advocate from DC, PP&O Requirements: MERS Capability Integration Officer, DC, CD&I Acquisition Office: MERS, MCSC Other Stakeholders MERS is aligned within MCSC under the Chief Engineer of the Marine Corps: Systems Engineering, Human Factors, and Interoperability focused Responsible for Human Systems Integration (HSI) across the Command Support for the Programs - works with the programs to make their products better and an integrated solution Actively engage many of the other soldier modernization programs (Joint, International) to leverage technology opportunities and ensure coalition interoperability. 3

4 MERS FY17 Goals and Objectives Establish and fund Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) in order to support Commander s Intent for Innovation focused primarily on the Infantry community. Mobility assessments utilizing Marine Corps Load Effects Assessment Program (MC-LEAP) in Okinawa and CONUS. Execute integration projects and tasks as required in order to support requirements and programs. Identify priority projects through the CD&I Infantry Working Group. Provide and improve Gruntworks as a capability for the Command and the Marine Corps. Provide Human Systems Integration and Human Research Protection Program expertise to the Command. 4

5 MERS FY17 Tasks and Actions Conduct mobility metric assessments of equipment and equipment configurations and develop designs that improve mobility. Conduct integration of infantry squad and days of supply into mobility platforms to include seating and seat restraint systems. Conduct Design Tight initiative and support vehicle loadout trials. Develop a USMC Anthropometry database, use Anthropometry to support vehicle platforms, and identify MOS discriminators. Develop strength database relative to gender and anthropometry. Smart Adaptations. Determine successful candidate technologies for usability assessments from Infantry Equipping Challenge and evaluate. Human Systems Integration reviews with programs and collaborate on solution optimization. Validate new instrumentation received into the trial processes and develop trial plans. Jungle thermal strain study. CD&I Infantry Working Group Charter influence on PIA initiatives. Collaborate with internal and external organizations on innovation efforts. Work with and leverage similar organizations- SOFWERX, Diggerworks, WinSite, and other similar establishments. 5

6 Innovation and Technology Establish a Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) for the Command in order to provide a mechanism to rapidly engage industry and academia to include the ability to rapidly acquire COTS items in small quantities for evaluation and integration. Diversify the capabilities within the Gruntworks Squad Integration Facility by using a PIA as a technology scouting and market research mechanism. Utilize Gruntworks as the core location for engaging industry and leveraging the PIA as the mechanism for rapid response. The Command s own PIA will allow us to place Collaborative Project Orders and will reduce the cycle time and improve responsiveness. Authority to execute PIAs is in SecNavInst and the responsibility for Science and Technology development and readiness is in SecNavInst C (see page 6 para C). PIAs are established under 15 USC

7 Experimentation Third Battalion Fifth Marines has been designated as the experimentation unit in order to determine the optimal size rifle squad with technology insertions that have been provided to the Battalion. The Marine Corps Warfighting Lab is leading the experimentation and analysis process. Each of the three Rifle Companies have a unique squad size and a variety of technologies to utilize during pre-deployment training and during deployment. 10 Marine squad, 12 Marine squad and 14 Marine squad sizes are in the experiment. The current rifle squad size is 13 Marines Currently, the battalion s initial recommendation is for a 15 man squad. This is based upon the insertion of Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS), ground robotics, small unit command and control systems, information technologies, and a variety of other technologies. Rationale is manpower is required to effectively operate and exploit the technologies while maintaining effective combat power and preventing cognitive burden on small unit leaders. Assistant Squad Leader or Assistant to the Squad Leader? 7

8 Experimentation Third Battalion Fifth Marines will deploy as the Ground Combat Element of the 31 st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). This provides an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the rifle squad in a Naval expeditionary environment Major exercises provide the environment to assess the advantages and disadvantages that new technologies bring to the rifle squad. It allows the Marines the opportunity to improvise how they can utilize the technology for a tactical advantage. Data collection and assessments will provide the information required for analysis and recommendations In 2017 it is anticipated that a final decision will be made on the size and composition of the Marine Rifle Squad. Integration of new technologies to the Marines will be a critical step in order to achieve success. Ergonomics, load carriage, accessibility, usability, training, and human performance will all be critical factors for material solutions. This is actually the beginning as the Marine Operating Concept is injected into the Marine Rifle Squad. 8

9 Marine Operating Concept 5 Critical Task and Issue Areas 1. Integrate the Naval force to fight at and from the sea. 2. Evolve the MAGTF. 3. Operate with resilience in a contested network environment. 4. Enhance our ability to maneuver. 5. Exploit the competency of the individual Marine. All five areas apply to the Marine Rifle Squad! 9

10 Marine Operating Concept Exploit the Competence of the Individual Marine The Marine Corps is a personnel-centric military organization. As such, we must ensure our ability to exploit our asymmetric advantage: the U.S. Marine. We must modernize our personnel policies in order to seek high-quality human capital and better train and educate Marines for the integrated naval force. Training and education must be focused on developing Marines for complexity and developing leaders at every echelon. We must continue our efforts towards cultural learning and emphasize quality in leadership positions. This also means managing talent to improve the return on this training and education investment in terms of managing individual talent across the Total Force regardless of MOS and improving retention. Even as we pursue greater networking of the force, we must resist the temptation to use the connectivity to centralize decision-making, and in so doing undercut our ability to take full advantage of the qualified, trained, experienced, and capable Marine. 10

Marine Operating Concept Key Drivers of Change Complex Terrain- Physical, informational, and human aspects of conflict are adding significant complexity and compression to the three-block war.

11 Marine Operating Concept Key Drivers of Change Complex Terrain- Physical, informational, and human aspects of conflict are adding significant complexity and compression to the three-block war. Technology Proliferation- Proliferation across information, S&T, cyber, EW, automation, and Anti Access/Area Denial (A2AD) at a pace far faster than our military acquisition. Information as a Weapon- We must vie for the sentiment of the society local to the conflict and simultaneously the opinion of the world at large. Battle of Signatures- Being detected is to be targeted.we must raise and detect enemy signatures, assign meaning, and take action first. Contested Maritime Domain- Previously unmatched sea control.now air, surface, and subsurface U.S. naval capabilities are being contested. The Problem: The Marine Corps is not organized, trained and equipped to meet the demands of a future operating environment. 11

Marine Operating Concept The 21st century MAGTF conducts maneuver warfare in the physical and cognitive dimensions of conflict to generate and exploit psychological, technological, temporal, and

12 Marine Operating Concept The 21st century MAGTF conducts maneuver warfare in the physical and cognitive dimensions of conflict to generate and exploit psychological, technological, temporal, and spatial advantages over the adversary. The 21st century MAGTF executes maneuver warfare through a combined arms approach that embraces information warfare as indispensable for achieving complementary effects across five domains air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace. The 21st century MAGTF avoids linear, sequential, and phased approaches to operations and blends maneuver warfare and combined arms to generate the combat power needed for simultaneity of action in its full range of missions. The 21st century MAGTF operates and fights at sea, from the sea, and ashore as an integrated part of the Naval force and the larger Combined/Joint force. 12

13 Marine Expeditionary Rifle Squad Facilitating the Marine Operating Concept into the Marine Rifle Squad will require novel methods for integration and assessments at the Gruntworks Squad Integration Facility. It requires a coordinated effort reliant on the Infantry Advocate, Requirements, Acquisition, and other stakeholders. Policies supporting integration in the Requirements Generation Phase of new initiatives. Instrumentation investments and innovative methodologies to support Acquisition decision making. Evaluations utilizing the right user populations Training burden assessments for new technologies Resourcing and prioritizing solutions Reduce the cycle time from concept to fielding by providing solid information for better informed requirements attributes and providing disciplined systems engineering and human systems integration in the acquisition process. 13

14 Infantry Working Group The Infantry Working Group Provide a forum to share lessons learned, after action reports, intelligence reports, injury data, research and development findings, materiel developments, technologies, and test methodologies among all key organizations involved in infantry capabilities development. Develop sound, achievable requirements defined in terms of operational capabilities and gaps, and link these requirements to the Marine Expeditionary Rifle Squad Initial Capabilities Document (ICD) dated 13 August Leverage the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity to reassess current and future threats. Review the status of materiel and non-materiel solutions currently planned and/or underway to fulfill approved capability gaps. Identify the status of technology initiatives in all stages of development as potential fulfillment of approved capability gaps. Develop a Marine Expeditionary Rifle Squad roadmap that captures the nonmateriel and materiel efforts focused on the squad and individual infantry military occupational specialties (MOS) across DOTmLPF-P through the Future Years Defense Program. Establish priorities and forward capability gaps for inclusion in the Marine Corps Gap List beginning with Program Objective Memorandum - 19 (POM-19). Advise Commandant of the Marine Corps, Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration, and other Marine Corps senior leaders on infantry modernization initiatives that can be implemented immediately to improve current warfighting capabilities and over the longer term to support Marine Corps Force 2025 goals and the Marine Corps Operating Concept. 14

15 Infantry Working Group Core Members Fires and Maneuver Integration Division (FMID), Capabilities Development Directorate (CDD), Combat Development and Integration, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps Ground Combat Element (POG)-30, Plans, Policies, and Operations (PP&O), Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps Program Manager, Infantry Weapon Systems (IWS), Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) Director, Marine Expeditionary Rifle Squad (MERS), MCSC Training and Education Command (TECOM), CD&I Marine Corps Operational Test and Evaluation Activity (MCOTEA) Other Members Program Managers (PM), Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) / Installations and Logistics (I&L) / Marine Corps Forces Command (MARFORCOM) / Marine Corps Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC) / Marine Corps Logistics Command (MARCORLOGCOM) / Integration Divisions (ID), CDD, CD&I / Operations Analysis Division (OAD), CD&I / Futures, CD&I (MCWL) / Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA) / Expeditionary Energy Office (E2O), Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps / Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) / Code 30, Office of Naval Research (ONR) / Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) / Marine Corps Forces Reserve (MARFORRES) / Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE), U.S. Army / Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier, U.S. Army / Defense Logistics Agency, (Troop Support and Marine Team) / Prepositioning Programs Section (POE-40), Expeditionary Policies Branch (POE), PP&O, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps / G-8, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) 15

16 Marine Mobility Policy 2. Background. Reference (a) The MERS ICD, paragraph 7.3(1) requires the establishment of a mobility metric. Mobility, as it pertains to requirements for the individual Marine with a standard combat load, is defined as the relative ability to move efficiently and to effectively accomplish combat related tasks while wearing and carrying assigned weapons and mission essential equipment. Reference (a), paragraph 7.3(1) also identifies an integration requirement for all systems fielded to the infantry to reduce the weight, bulk, and stiffness of issued weapons and equipment, thus improving individual Marine mobility. Reference (a), paragraph 7.3(3) requires the development of thermal strain performance parameters to also be considered when developing items to be worn next to the body. 16

17 Marine Mobility Policy 7.3. (U) Materiel Recommendations Required System Integration to Close Material Gaps. Inherent to all materiel development solutions for the Rifle Squad is a materiel solutions integration requirement for existing systems at the squad level. To this end, the Infantry CIO and Marine Corps System Command must: (1) Establish a mobility metric for equipment/weapons development worn/carried by dismounted forces through integration testing with the MERS program; (2) Conduct integration testing on all fielded equipment/weapons worn/carried by dismounted forces and forecasted to remain in the inventory for the foreseeable future to investigate potential equipment modifications to improve overall mobility in accordance with the established mobility metrics; (3) Develop thermal strain performance parameters to be considered during development or modification of all future equipment worn next to the body; (4) Develop energy consumption / harvesting / distribution performance parameters for use in future powered equipment / weapon development to ensure that appropriate trade-offs are made when powered systems are worn / carried and subsequently affect dismounted mobility; (5) Conduct integration testing with all mobility platforms employed by infantry forces to ensure mobility platforms design personnel carriage systems facilitate timely debarkation/embarkation and account for combat equipment space constraints. 17

18 Marine Mobility Policy 3. Action. Effective immediately, all new Capability Development Documents (CDDs), Capability Production Documents (CPDs), Capability Requirement Change (CRC) and updates to existing CDDs and CPDs for weapons and combat equipment that is to be worn or carried by the individual Marine shall include a mobility attribute. The mobility attribute may be designated a Key Performance Parameter (KPP) / Key System Attribute (KSA), or Additional Performance Attribute (for a CRC), as appropriate for the system. There is no requirement to update previous documents unless they are undergoing changes or updates. The Marine Corps Load Effects Assessment Program (MC-LEAP) will be used to evaluate the mobility attribute, per enclosure (1). The results of the MC-LEAP evaluation characterizing the equipment s impact on mobility will be forwarded to Director, CDD for consideration. 18

19 Summary The Marine Rifle Squad is evolving quickly. Much more going on than a 30 minute presentation allows. Gruntworks, the Partnership Intermediary Agreement, and Infantry Working Group will be key elements as the Squad modernizes with the Marine Operating Concept. The modernization of our requirements, policies, processes, instrumentation, and capabilities have created a solid foundation for modernizing the rifle squad We are enhancing our ability to engage industry and academia by this summer. Contact and engage us. We are open to continuing collaboration with our international partners. If there are questions since I am not there in person, please send an to mark.richter@usmc.mil and I will try to answer it. Enjoy the conference! 19

20 MC-LEAP - Questions? 20

The Marine Corps Operating Concept How an Expeditionary Force Operates in the 21 st Century

September How an Expeditionary Force Operates in the 21st Century Key Points Our ability to execute the Marine Corps Operating Concept in the future operating environment will require a force that has: