How the Marine Corps is reshaping itself for future wars: Weapons and Warfare

You can add the right to repair to the list of things the DoD is willing to fight for

The Department of Defense is trying to navigate a problem American farmers have been facing

for years. We'll talk about it. And for more than four decades, the US military has been

using Polaris vehicles in the harshest environments for some of the most demanding missions

In our Weapon of the Week, see why the M-Razor is the next entry in this long-running partnership

Hey everyone, and welcome to another edition of Weapons and Warfare for Straight Arrow News

I'm your host, Ryan Robertson. Before we get to those other stories, we want to start with the Marine Corps and its effort to modernize

Back in 2020, the Marines kicked off Force Design 2030, a 10-year effort to revamp the Corps to better fit with the national defense strategy

and tackle the challenges posed by near-peer adversaries. China. So, five years in, where did they stand

From their very beginning in 1775, the U.S. Marine Corps served as America's Rapid Response Force

specializing in amphibious operations and expeditionary warfare. But as the DOD turns its focus from the global war on terrorism to great power competition

the Corps, like their sister services, is focused on modernizing its force for America's next conflict

Five years ago, the Marines launched Force Design 2030. And even though they've since shortened it to simply Force Design, the idea remains the same

shifting how the Marine Corps is organized, what capabilities it has, and how it plans to operate

What I need is lethal capability that's affordable, that's light, that's getting more autonomous

that matches the needs that I have for the Marine Corps. That's General Eric Smith, the 39th Commandant of the Marine Corps

speaking at last spring's modern-day Marine event about the Corps' plan to shift from counterinsurgency operations

to a more expeditionary and naval-focused force, capable of operating within contested areas and supporting naval operations

Part of the challenge for the Corps, according to the commanding general of the Training and Education Command

is keeping pace with new technology being embraced by the DoD. If we don't adapt sort of a crawl-walk-run training model where we field less expensive but sophisticated training systems

and employ things like virtual reality or augmented reality in those systems

to ensure that we make the best use of the time we actually put on the systems that we're going to fight with

and that we can train to full capability as we are still fielding those systems

then we risk being behind in terms of our readiness for conflict when it does arrive

One way the Corps is doing that is through initiatives like projects Trident, Triumph, and Tripoli

all aimed at leveraging the latest tools available with lessons learned over the Corps' 250 years of service

We have to create that friction in training command, and using the scenarios out of Trident

using the virtual system out of Tripoli is the way to go for any evolving military in the future

It's the way in which you will be able to test yourself to failure, test yourself to disadvantage

and then understand how to maneuver under that. To make that happen, the Corps identified areas of focus, all part of a comprehensive plan to

modernize and restructure the Corps by addressing the challenges posed by potential adversaries

particularly in the Indo-Pacific. It's worth noting that elements of force design evolved

and changed since it was launched, due at least in part to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine

and how Ukrainian forces were able to defend themselves against a much larger and better funded foe

We just really need technology to help us with this plan. Obviously, there's got to be training and education for our agile young men and women

but we've got to have something that's going to help us because it is a really, really challenging change in warfare in the last couple of years

The commander of the Marine Corps' Installation Command, Major General Jason Woodworth

says one area where the Corps evolved is in looking outside its ranks for solutions to certain problems

We can tell you what the problem is, but we need more from industry, I think

in ways where they can help us understand the problem, shape the problem

and come up with solutions that are viable and somewhat agile and adaptable in the future to be better at that

Among the positives senior leadership observed since the initiative kicked off is the ability of younger Marines to keep pace with the changes

Our limitation has been at times particularly, which is we take them still through our foundry

our legacy foundry, and they're ready to learn faster and more. And every time we place them

in that context of, look, have you learned this yet? And we test them and evaluate them

We find they're already there. They're just waiting on us. One area where the Marines are showing definitive progress is in recruiting

Over the past five years, the Corps consistently outperformed other branches of the U.S. military in achieving its recruitment objectives

While it is no doubt a positive indicator, General Smith says the real win is keeping those Marines in the Corps

So we have to do things that are smarter. We have to let Marines pick their own duty station

Again, if you let a Marine write his own tasking statement, he'll get it right 100% of the time

If a Marine is at Camp Lejeune and they want to stay at Camp Lejeune for nine years or 12 years that fine by me Why do I have to move him to Camp Pendleton General Smith says the Marines can recruit their way out of a manpower crisis

but they can retain their way out of one. So what do the next five years of force design look like

as the Corps looks ahead? Senior leadership says the ability to innovate and respond to the demands

of modern warfare will be crucial in shaping Marines' role in America's national defense

for years to come. Time now for headlines that you may have missed. I'm joined once again by

senior producer Brett Baker. Brett, great to see you, and you just got a new car, right

I did. That is true. I did get a new vehicle, treated myself for the first time in a few years

so yes, I have a new whip. Yes, new whip. Treat yourself. Treat yourself. Have fun paying the

taxes uh when you go to register it i know that's always fun yeah but yeah let's go ahead and uh

sorry my cat just came into the room um brett let's go ahead and get started with the headlines

there is a push underway by some in the department of defense to allow mechanics and maintainers of

the various branches the ability to work on vehicles and machinery without voiding the warranty

on said vehicle or machinery. A recent report by Task and Purpose

detailed the push for a right to repair is what it's called. As it stands right now

it's often written into the contracts that the only ones who can work

on certain systems are the defense contractors. Brett, obviously this is going to lead

to some headaches because it's not like you can get a defense contractor out to the Indo-Pacific

once the missiles start flying and you need to repair something on your boat

Yeah, this is a problem that America's farmers have been facing for a long time

You know, obviously a lot of the gear inside these machines, be it a tractor or a tank or a jet or what have you, is obviously highly proprietary

but there is a problem with you know you've got a service full of you know mechanics and technicians

and folks who can handle this type of work that just can't do it otherwise they're voiding the

warranty and it could be like you said in a combat situation if the stuff has fallen that could be a

real limitation so this is a real problem that they're having to work through it's kind of crazy

to me that they would sign deals with that in there. I don't know how that gets passed, folks

But yeah, this is a very real problem. Like I said, not just for the nation's defense

but this is something American farmers have been fighting for a long time. And you think, you know, obviously, everything goes back to money, I suppose. But yeah, this is a problem

So it's, I was reading some articles and one military person described it as, you know

Imagine you're on Star Trek and Captain Kirk asks Scotty like, hey, you going to fix that engine

And Scotty says, well, we need to wait for the Federation to send a repair crew

It's going to take three weeks for them to get here and we can't get started until they get here

I can't change the laws of physics. That answer doesn't fly, right

It's such a problem that Senators Tim Sheehy and Elizabeth Warren, who

if you know anything about the Senate, you know, those two are normally on opposite sides of

most issues. They've come together to kind of push this, push a piece of legislation through

to get this fixed, which who knows, maybe that's the answer, right

Right. I mean, that's the ultimate bipartisan type project, right? Like, let's do what the

smart thing is. Let's do what the right thing is and find a way to make this work for everybody involved

Next up, Brett, more problems for the Air Force and their KC-46 Pegasus

This time, it's issues with the refueler's auxiliary power unit. For the uninitiated, APUs are crucial for providing electrical power

and enabling self-starting of the aircraft without ground support. There was a recent post by the Warzone detailing how the problems are significant enough

that the Air Mobility Command issued a memo actually limiting the use of APUs

instead of reducing reliance on ground crews. This, of course, will mean further dependence on them

because of all the APU issues. Brett, when we're talking about Air Force

and the agile combat employment in the Pacific where they're trying to, you know

be able to operate from austere locations, that's not great if the APUs aren't working on these tankers

Yeah, that's a huge deal, because obviously the plan is always for a tanker to return to a decent sized facility

You know, they can they can accommodate them and be able to, you know, fill up the tanks and get them back in the air again

But their circumstances might call for landing in an austere place. And if you can't fire up the jet, well, then it's just kind of stuck there

That's not good. So it's just another kind of list in the in the, you know

growing list of things that they have had to deal with in making the KC-46 a permanent part of

you know, the Air Force's inventory. It just seems kind of like a crazy one

This is something that all major jets are equipped with. This is kind of, and this is a

pretty common airframe. So yeah, this is, again, just kind of another one of those thorns in the

side for folks, especially like Air Mobility Command, who have to deal with this in addition

to everything else they've had to deal with in getting the KC-46 integrated into the force

Yeah, it's definitely had some problems. There were some planes that the booms were falling

off which is not what you want Not great Bob Yeah not great Bob Um there was also uh some issues with like the remote viewing station wasn exactly working And for the

boom operators, that's how they on the Pegasus, that's how they, you know, see what they're doing

Uh, and so had some issues. The, it is getting some pretty good air mileage though. It was used

pretty extensively uh during the iran bombing campaign uh some pegasuses i guess what's the

plural of pegasus pegasai uh some pegasai were flying uh helping uh israel when when israel was

launching its strikes on iran so it is getting some some you know time aloft but it's just not

exactly uh stellar when it's on the ground so we'll get that we'll get it fixed hopefully

Davidson window is fast approaching. And so they need to get these issues ironed out

Some news out of Lockheed Martin, their common multi-mission truck air vehicles that are still

in the early stages of development were tested in tactical flight scenarios this spring at

ranges in Oregon. A Lockheed Martin team tested the Comet D cruise missile, successfully deploying

it from a helicopter or an unpowered glide. They tell us this was the first deployment

of a compact air vehicle in a tactical environment within the Rapid Dragon program

And in June, a team tested the Comet X variant with its first pylon launch from an aircraft

developed from the Speed Racer concept, which is another former Lockheed Martin program

Comet X evolved in seven months while meeting U.S. Air Force standards

Brett, we've reported on the Comet before, kind of Lockheed Martin's answer to the cheap

cruise missiles. The fact that they were to put this thing on Rapid Dragon, which is one of my

favorite programs in the world because it's just awesome. Rapid Dragon, for those who don't know

it's basically a palletized version of cruise missiles that you can, you know, kind of yeet

out the back, a C-130. And so all of these giant airplane tankers, cargo planes could be filled up

with pallets of cruise missiles. That's a lot of dilemmas, a lot of freedom flying at China

But, Brett, you know, the comet, what's kind of your takeaway from these tests

Well, I think it's definitely a step in the right direction. Obviously, the Pentagon's whole emphasis for several years now has been, you know, more, cheaper, faster, and let's get it up and going

And so this is definitely a step in the right direction. These processes used to take sometimes decades

So the fact that it's been done in less than a year, very impressive for not only Lockheed Martin, but definitely a good sign for the DOD and the partners that they want to work with in getting these kind of munitions and delivery systems into the hands of the operators

Yeah, and you nailed it right there, Brett. Going from decades to less than a year is really proof of the greatness of digital engineering and digital design

Because with AI and with the computer systems that we have today, we can kind of mimic like, hey, if we put this fin on it, what is it going to do

If we put this CPU on it, what ability will that bring us

they can kind of simulate so much of that in a digital environment now that they

they basically know 90% of what they're going to be getting when they go and

make a physical model and actually do it in the real world. So Brett

that's about all the time we have for headlines. Real quick. I want to congratulate you

Ryan. Oh, I'll take it. I had a jar ready for a

you bet fine. You bet jar. Okay. Okay. And I got to congratulate you

I didn't have to put any money in it. So good job

Oh, it's hilarious you said that because I was thinking like, oh, maybe we should bust out like the you bet jar this week

And we didn't. This is why I'm the super producer. Yeah, you are the super producer

I say you bet all the time, but I was consciously trying not to say it. I stopped myself about five times

So, yeah, good times, good times. We'll see how many you bets we can sneak in next time you're with us

How about that, Brett? And we did it without a shock collar, so all the better. Unless you have a real affection for astronomy, when you hear the name Polaris

It's likely you think snowmobiles plowing through drifts of snow, or maybe you think of personal watercraft

or maybe one of their boats crashing through the waves at a local lake

Since 1954, Polaris has been making vehicles for work and recreation, so it should come as no surprise that they also found a home within America's military ranks as well

That's why the M-Razor is our Weapon of the Week. To see a Polaris M 6x6 packed on the floor of a military exhibition is to want to climb behind the wheel of it immediately and burn some rubber But we showed some self and instead visited with Polaris program manager John Lafada to get the 411 on this six machine Upgraded with a third

axle to enhance its payload capacity, this version can handle 3,600 pounds, with 3,000 of those pounds

on the platform deck. This allows for more logistical flexibility and the integration of

heavier systems. It's a one-size-fits-all vehicle, so you can be able to utilize it for a number of

different mission sets, whether that's doing recon exploration type events, logistical side

of things, just carrying food, water, fuel, or weapon style systems like we have on the jackal

behind us. Lathana says any service member who puts the M-Razor to work can trust the company's

seven decades of research and development, putting all of their lessons learned right back into the

vehicles. So we take that off-road DNA from the larger Polaris organization and we've built it

into that militarized capability of M-Razor Alpha. So the 32-inch tall tires, front and rear lockers

eight-speed automatic transmission, 1.5-liter diesel engine, you're getting that power and that off-road maneuverability with high payload carrying capability that can maneuver around

places that a normal vehicle is just not going to go. Polaris touts the vehicle's ability to fill

a variety of roles, from gathering intelligence to daily operations, logistics, and communications

They see it as a Swiss Army knife solution to a number of the military's needs

Our main goal is to try and showcase that this fills a gap between the ULTV, the JLTV. You get

yourself something that can fill that payload and necessity inside of what we see as their needs

from a vehicle standpoint. So what's next? Nevada tells us Polaris is working closely with the Marine Corps

to develop a 1-kilowatt and a 5-kilowatt version of the M-Razor Alpha

with the 5-kilowatt version being able to export power at 24 volts

It's a feature that not only enhances the platform's modularity, but it makes the platform far more versatile

able to meet a range of needs the Marines might have for the vehicle

Back in April, we told you about how the state of Ohio worked to land Anderle's planned

5 million square foot facility called Arsenal One, just south of the state capitol in Columbus

The state and the burgeoning defense contractor are making headlines again, and that's the subject of this week's comms check

Anderle Industries has just landed a $310 million grant from Ohio's job creation office

as it gears up to build its huge manufacturing facility. Under a 30-year agreement with JobsOhio, the company will create more than 4,000 jobs

and invest at least $910.5 million in the next decade to qualify for the funds

The new facility, called Arsenal One, will focus on producing military drones and autonomous air vehicles, with plans to open in July 2026

This massive facility will be situated on a 500-acre site near Rickenbacker International Airport, about 16 miles southeast of Columbus

All opinions expressed in this segment are solely the opinions of the contributors

All right, folks, that just about does it for this week at Weapons and Warfare

Please don't forget to like and subscribe to our social media feeds and download the Straight Arrow News app today

We just got certified again by all sides as an unbiased outlet

So if you want straight facts, we got you covered. For my wrap this week, I want to talk about the impacts of watering down the message

since taking office for his second term. Democrats and others have repeatedly accused President Donald Trump

of taking the country down an authoritarian path. The latest accusation comes amid the news that CBS is canceling The Late Show

I'm going to go ahead and say it. Cancel culture has gone too far. The claim by the left is under pressure from President Trump

CBS fired Colbert after he was critical of the network's parent company for paying millions to

settle a lawsuit with the administration. And because Colbert's contract was not renewed

we're now even further down an authoritarian rabbit hole. But here's the thing. The Late Show

was canceled, but it's not going off the air until next year. And when it does, it's not like Stephen

Colbert won't have another job lined up, where he can share his thoughts without worrying about

network executives telling him what's acceptable or not acceptable. Network TV viewership has been

declining for years, and Late Night is no different. Reuters says the show was losing

millions, and Colbert is one of the highest paid presenters at CBS, so when the network says

canceling The Late Show was a business decision, maybe there's some truth to that

How dare you, sir? Look, I absolutely believe strong democracies allow dissent

And President Trump is going after his critics with plenty of fervor

but Colbert getting almost a year's notice that he's going to be out of his current job

is not authoritarianism. Saying it is only dilutes the impact of the word and waters down the message

and makes it less likely that people will heed the call if actual authoritarian alarms start to sound

For senior producer Brett Baker, video editor Brian Spencer, and motion designer Dakota Patio

I'm Ryan Robertson for Straight Arrow News, signing off