QUANTICO, Va. — For the first time since former President Ronald Reagan’s Administration, the Marine Corps is fielding a new service-wide pistol replacement. 

The M18 comprises capabilities previous pistols lacked. For example, the M9 — the most widely issued pistol among Marines — is a steel-framed, single-action/double-action hammer-fired pistol. This means it is a heavier, metal gun with two different trigger pulls for single- and double-action. 
 
Conversely, the M18 is lighter and does not include two different trigger pulls. 
 
“For some Marines, having two trigger pulls, like with the M9, is difficult to get used to because different forces are acting upon the gun,” said Sgt. Randall McClellan, pistol program manager with the Weapons Training Battalion aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. “With the M18, the trigger is going to be the same weight every time.” 
 
The M18 has increased modularity when compared with previous pistols. The gun includes interchangeable components to fit small, medium or large hands. It comprises a receiver module inside the pistol grip that enables Marines to remove the trigger mechanism and insert it into a new grip size, said Nelson. 
 
The weapon also includes an accessory rail that enables Marines to attach lights or lasers underneath. 
 
“Marines can attach more things to the M18, such as a red-dot sight, once approved for use,” said McClellan. “The modularity and ergonomics of the gun benefits the warfighter, as they can change parts out more easily.” 
 
Army collaboration 
 
The handgun is an Army-led program fielded in 2017. The program consists of the M17—the full-size pistol—and the M18. MCSC is only purchasing the M18, the compact variant, as well as holsters through the Army contract. 

The Marine Corps’ Combat Development and Integration collaborated with the Army on the development of the M18 requirement. CD&I requirements managers and other Marines actively participated in the assessment and selection of the MHS. 
 
“The M18 is unique in that it is a utility player capable of supporting a broad range of missions in which a handgun is required,” said Billy Epperson, the Infantry Weapon Capabilities Integration officer at CD&I. “Because of this versatility, the M18 will replace the four pistols in the Marine Corps inventory.” 
 
Tom Vass, the Army’s project officer for the M18, believes the weapon will greatly benefit Marines, noting how it is a more reliable, accurate and effective pistol than previous ones. 
 
“Overall, the adoption of the M18 by the Marine Corps is an extremely positive decision that will benefit the Corps and enhance Marines’ safety and effectiveness when conducting missions,” said Vass. 
 
‘Very emotional’ transition 
 
In June 2020, a group of Marines and civilians from various Marine Corps organizations, including PMO and Marine Helicopter Squadron One, converged upon a firing range aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico to learn and qualify with the M18 during the Instructor and Key Personnel Training. 
 
After the two-hour event, Marines and subject matter experts spoke about the benefits of the system. Sgt. Journey Granados, a weapons trainer with MCB Quantico’s PMO, said the M18 is much easier to grip and shoot than other Marine Corps pistols. 
 
“I feel more comfortable holding the M18 than I do holding the M9, largely because of the interchangeable grip,” said Granados. “This pistol is definitely easier to shoot, is a lot more accurate and should improve Marines’ qualification score.” 
 
The requirement for Marines to qualify with a pistol will not change. Those required to qualify annually will still do so, said Nelson. Combat Marksmanship Trainers will qualify with the M18 during New Equipment Training, and these individuals are responsible for qualifying other Marines. 
 
“The only thing changing in the qualification course now is the verbiage in regard to single action/double action and the decocking,” said Nelson. “WTBN will hold the marksmanship symposium later this year, and they will review data to decide if the course as a whole will need to be changed.” 
 
Maj. Mike Brisker, weapons product manager in MCSC’s Program Manager for Infantry Weapons, expressed excitement for the M18 because of its capabilities and its potential in helping Marines carry out their missions. 
 
“This is the first service-wide replacement of the pistol since the M9 in the 1980s,” said Brisker. “The M18 is important in terms of modernization and lethality.” 
 
Fielding the M18 is part of a larger effort to modernize and increase the lethality of Marines. The addition of the M18 to the Marine Corps inventory will be an exciting experience for many Marines, said Nelson. 
 
“This is the first new service pistol in more than 30 years, so it’s going to be a very emotional transition for Marines,” said Nelson. “Fielding the M18 is a big step for the Marine Corps.” 

STOCKHOLM — Saab has received a $36.7 million USD order for the U.S. Marine Corps’ AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR), the company said in a Sept. 23 release. Saab received the order from Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., the prime contractor for G/ATOR.  

The order includes components and subsystems in support of the Full-Rate Production phase. Saab’s deliveries relating to this contract will take place between 2020 and 2021 from its facility in Syracuse, New York.  

The initial full-rate production contract, awarded to Saab in 2019, also includes options for additional sets of assemblies and associated spares over a five-year period until 2024. Saab has been a major partner with Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. since the initial G/ATOR system design and development contract award in 2007. 

“Through Saab’s strong partnership with Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. we continue to advance the G/ATOR program in support of the U.S. Marine Corps. Each delivery of the G/ATOR system improves the capability and effectiveness of our Armed Forces and represents Saab’s enduring commitment to advancing the safety and security of our U.S. stakeholders,” said Erik Smith, president and chief executive officer for Saab in the United States.  

The AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) provides the U.S. Marine Corps with capabilities for air surveillance, air defense, and ground weapon locating missions in one single ground-based radar solution. 

MIAMI — The Coast Guard, along with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air Marine Operation (CBP-AMO), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) interdicted four Bahamian suspected drug smugglers, Sept. 21, approximately 10 miles south of the Exuma Island chain in the Bahamas, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a Sept. 23 release. 

Coast Guard 7th District watchstanders initially received a report of a go-fast vessel crew suspected of drug smuggling transiting northbound approximately 10 miles south of Exuma Islands, Bahamas. Operations Bahamas and Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) launched two Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews with DEA agents aboard that assisted a CBP-AMO Maritime Patrol Aircraft crew in tracking the go-fast vessel for more than four hours. Additionally, one of the MH-60 helicopter crews vectored the Bahamas police boat crew for intercept and a high-speed pursuit that led to the successful interdiction of the drug-laden go fast. 

During the pursuit, one of the suspected smugglers was injured, and an MH-60 helicopter crew medevaced the suspect to Exuma International Airport for further transfer to medical facilities in Nassau. The RBPF apprehended the other three suspects and seized 2,274 pounds of marijuana.  

“This collaborative success is a testament to the longstanding relationship we share with all our OPBAT partners and has allowed us to keep over 2,000 pounds of illegal narcotics off the streets,” said Cmdr. Mike Benson, the OPBAT director stationed in Nassau. “The fight against drug cartels in the Caribbean Basin requires a unity of effort in all phases from detection, monitoring, interdiction, and criminal prosecutions. We are very fortunate to have such a healthy working relationship with our partner nations.” 

MIAMI — Coast Guard watchstanders and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) crew interdicted two Dominican Republic-flagged ships Sept. 24 illegally fishing off Diamond Point, Great Bahama Bank, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release. 

Watchstanders from the Coast Guard’s Operation Bahamas and Turks and Caicos operation center coordinated with RBDF crews to board two commercial fishing vessels, El Ship and Angel Gabriel, which had 83 fishermen aboard.  

The RBDF boarding team seized more than 12,000 pounds of illegally caught fish and lobster. 

The partnership between the Coast Guard and RBDF to catch these illegal fishermen came just days after the Coast Guard released a new strategy to enhance global safety, security, and stewardship of the maritime domain by combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. 

IUU fishing is a collection of dishonest fishing practices, both on the high seas and in areas within national jurisdiction, that threatens global geo-political security and prosperity and weakens rules-based order; especially as the worldwide demand for fish as a protein source continues to grow. The strategy announces the Coast Guard’s commitment to leading an international effort to combat illegal exploitation of the ocean’s fish stocks and protect our national interests. 

“The Seventh Coast Guard District includes a 1.8 million square mile area of responsibility shared with 32 foreign countries and overseas territories,” said Rear Adm. Eric C. Jones, commander, Seventh District. “The Coast Guard’s recently released Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Strategic Outlook is a commitment to our international partners throughout this region, and I look forward to continuing to build and maintain strong relationships with our like-minded foreign allies as we work together to combat the threat IUU fishing poses to our region.” 

The vessels and crew were apprehended and escorted to New Providence, Bahamas for further enforcement action.   

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane (WMEC 903) returned to its homeport in Portsmouth, after a 56-day patrol in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard5th District said in a Sept. 23 release. 

Harriet Lane’s patrol began with a week-long intensive training period to evaluate the readiness of the cutter and the crew. After conducting storm avoidance for hurricane Isaias, Harriet Lane conducted operational testing of a prototype small unmanned aerial system (SUAS). The SUAS system is designed to extend the surveillance capability of the cutter and the purpose of the test was to verify the compatibility of the system with a medium endurance cutter platform. 

Notably, in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the crew of Harriet Lane interdicted three go-fast vessels, carrying a combined total of approximately 3,882 pounds of suspected cocaine and 2,527 pounds of marijuana, with an estimated street value of $72 million of illegal narcotics. One such interdiction involved airborne use of force executed by a trained Coast Guard crew member aboard a U.S. Navy helicopter, launched from USS Nitze. Harriet Lane’s boarding team took control of the vessel after it was disabled. 

“I am extremely proud of the hard work by the Harriet Lane crew during this very busy patrol,” said Cmdr. Dorothy Hernaez, commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane. “These operations are dangerous, often carried out at night or in less than ideal conditions. COVID-19 has certainly added an additional layer of complexity that we must account for in order to keep our crew safe while conducting operations at sea. Our Coast Guard women and men are some of the bravest people I have met. I’m very thankful for their personal sacrifices that help keep our country safe.” 

The Harriet Lane is a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth. 

ALAMEDA, Calif. — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL 751) arrived at Yokosuka, Japan today after combating a shipboard engineering fire on Sept. 20, during a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet’s area of operations, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said in a Sept. 22 release.

Black smoke was reported at 5:18 p.m. (local time) Sunday, and investigations revealed fires in the exhaust stack and nearby spaces.

After 90 minutes of firefighting, the fires were confirmed extinguished.

Five crew members reported minor injuries sustained during firefighting efforts and were treated by the onboard medical team.

The extent of the damages and cause of the fire are currently under investigation. While at Fleet Forces Yokosuka, the cutter will undergo further inspection and potentially repairs.

“The rapid response and courageous efforts from the crewmembers aboard Waesche to quickly contain and extinguish the fire are a testament to the bravery and skill of this crew,” said Capt. Jason Ryan, Waesche’s commanding officer.

The cutter is under the tactical control of U.S. 7th Fleet as part of routine presence operations in support of the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

In 2019, Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf and Stratton deployed for a combined 326 days to the Western Pacific.

Both cutters enforced United Nations Security Council resolutions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea by monitoring and gathering intelligence on vessels conducting ship-to-ship transfers in the East China, South China, and Yellow Seas.

Bertholf and Stratton also engaged in professional exchanges and capacity-building exercises with partner navies and coast guards while visiting ports in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Fiji, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Bertholf made history during its patrol as the first Coast Guard cutter to transit the Taiwan Strait March 24-25, 2019.

Stratton’s crew combated illegal fishing by conducting seven high seas fisheries boardings under the authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission while transiting between the Philippines and Guam.

The Coast Guard’s ongoing deployment of resources to the Indo-Pacific directly supports U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives. The service’s unique capabilities, mission sets, and longstanding partnerships strengthen maritime governance, security, and the rule of law throughout the region.

Waesche is the Coast Guard’s second 418-foot Legend-class national security cutter and one of four homeported in Alameda. National security cutters have a crew of more than 150 and are among the largest and most technologically sophisticated vessels in the Coast Guard’s fleet.

LOCKPORT, La. — The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded Bollinger Shipyards LLC four additional Sentinel-Class Fast Response Cutters (FRC), the company said in a Sept. 22 release.

This announcement brings the total number of FRCs awarded to Bollinger up to 60 vessels since the program’s inception. The Coast Guard’s Program of Record is to procure 64 FRCs.

“It’s a great honor to have the confidence of the U.S. Coast Guard to continue the work we’re doing,” said Ben Bordelon, Bollinger Shipyards president and chief executive officer. “The FRC program is something we’re all proud of here in Louisiana. Delivering vessels on schedule and on budget to the Coast Guard during these challenging times shows the determination and resiliency of our workforce.”

All four FRCs will be built at Bollinger’s Lockport, Louisiana, facility and are scheduled for delivery to the Coast Guard in 2022 and 2023. Three of the four would be home-ported in Alaska and the fourth in Boston, Massachusetts.

“While Louisiana’s unemployment rate remains above historic averages, we’re proud that Bollinger continues to be an economic pillar and job creator in south Louisiana,” Bordelon said. “More than 600 of our 1,500-plus employees have important roles related to the FRC program. Without the support of the Coast Guard and Congress for the continuation of this critical program in FY21, the security of these jobs would be thrown into question.”

The FRC program has had a total economic impact of $1.2 billion since inception in material spending and directly supports 650 jobs in Southeast Louisiana. The program has indirectly created 1,690 new jobs from operations and capital investment and has an annual economic impact on GDP of $202 million, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) on the economic Importance of the U.S. Shipbuilding and Repair Industry. Bollinger sources over 271,000 different items for the FRC, consisting of 282 million components and parts from 965 suppliers in 37 states.

The FRC is one of many U.S. government shipbuilding programs that Bollinger is proud to support. In addition to the construction of the FRC, Bollinger is participating in Industry Studies for five government programs, including the U.S. Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program, the U.S. Navy’s Common Hull Auxiliary Multi-Mission Platform (CHAMP) program, the U.S. Navy’s Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance (T-AGOS(X)) program, the U.S. Navy’s Large Unmanned Surface Vehicle (LUSV) program and the U.S. Navy’s Light Amphibious Warship (LAW) program.

The FRC is an operational “game changer,” according to senior Coast Guard officials. FRCs are consistently being deployed in support of the full range of missions within the United States Coast Guard and other branches of our armed services. This is due to its exceptional performance, expanded operational reach and capabilities, and ability to transform and adapt to the mission.

FRCs have conducted operations as far as the Marshall Islands — a 4,400-nautical-mile trip from their homeport. Measuring in at 154-feet, FRCs have a flank speed of 28 knots, state of the art C4ISR suite (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), and stern launch and recovery ramp for a 26-foot, over-the-horizon interceptor cutter boat.

ARLINGTON, Va. — After two decades of land combat in wars with no air threat beyond small drones, the Marine Corps is putting a high priority to ground-based air defense (GBAD) as it redesigns its force for expeditionary advance base operations in an era of great power competition.  

The Marine Corps used to have batteries of Hawk surface-to-air missiles and later the Avenger system, augmented by short-range Stinger man-portable air-defense missiles (MANPADs) in their low-altitude air-defense battalions. Only the Stingers survived by the mid-2000s. In Afghanistan and Iraq, with no credible air threat, GBAD fell in priority in budgets and development as the Corps focused on ground combat systems such as armored vehicles, artillery and tactical aircraft. 

With the Force Design 2030 plan of the commandant, Gen. David H. Berger, to re-shape the Corps into a force that can operate and survive inside the area of operations of a peer competitor equipped with advanced manned and unmanned aerial systems and cruise missiles, GBAD has been restored to a higher priority in the defense budget and in the Corps’ acquisition programs. 

John Garner, program executive officer for Land Systems, has reorganized the PEO’s program offices directorates to include one for GBAD. The four major GBAD programs being developed or deployed were outlined Sept. 22 by Garner in the Virtual Modern-Day Marine exposition: 

• MRIC – Medium-Range Interceptor Capability 
• MADIS – Marine Air Defense Integrated System 
• L-MADIS – Light Marine Air Defense Integrated System 
• Advanced MANPADS/Stinger 

The MRIC is likely to be a vehicle-mounted missile system with a 360-degree fire-control radar to handle aircraft and cruise missiles at medium ranges.  

Garner said the Corps expects to field a prototype of the MRIC “over the next two years.” 

The MADIS is mounted on a pair of Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, one with a turret launcher for four Stinger missiles and a 30mm cannon, as well as an optical sensor and shoulder-fired Stingers. The second vehicle is equipped with an RPS-42 360-degree radar, a 7.62mm M134 minigun, and electro-optic/infrared sensors, as well as shoulder-fired Stingers. On both vehicles is the Modi II dismounted electronic countermeasures system, which can be used to disrupt enemy drones, communications, and radio-controlled improvised explosive devices. 

The L-MADIS is a counter-UAS electronic attack system mounted on a Polaris MRZR all-terrain vehicle. It features a 360-degree radar, a direct-fire capability, radio frequency jammers and electro-optic/infrared sensors. The L-MADIS is credited with downing an Iranian drone that flew in the close vicinity of the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer in July 2019. 

Garner said the GBAD systems will fill “a major void” in Marine Corps capabilities. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — To meet the pacing threat of a near peer competitor like China by 2030 will require changes in Marine Corps platforms, equipment and, above all, changes in thinking about logistics and mobility, according to a panel of three-star Marine generals.

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger’s top priority for his five-year tenure is redesigning the force from its decades-long focus on countering violent extremists in the Middle East to great power, peer-level competition, with special emphasis on the Indo-Pacific region.

“We have to change by 2030, the year the decade of uncertainty begins,” when Russia and China are projected to begin surpassing U.S. military advantages in technology, equipment and force size, Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, deputy commandant for Combat Development and Integration told the virtual version of the Modern Day Marine Expo on Sept. 22.

Smith, one of four deputy commandants and one assistant deputy commandant on a panel discussing what the Marine Corps will need from industry to accomplish the massive shift in less than 10 years, cited two major concerns. One is developing a combination of C5ISR with resilient sensing architecture that can operate forward deployed “in contact, in conflict, and still pass data to the joint forces and to ourselves.”

The other is long range lethal fires that can “reach out and affect an adversary, make them respect our presence” but with lightweight mobility “so that we don’t overburden the naval  logistics or joint logistics footprint.” He added that “the overarching theme” for both concerns is mobility.

While the other deputies listed specific capabilities needed or in the pipeline for aviation, information technology and ground forces, a common theme developed about logistics and how to deliver supplies, equipment and information across vast areas of contested space.

“We have to lighten the load,” said Lt. Gen. Charles Chiarotti, deputy commandant for Installations and Logistics. Competitors’ long-range missiles and sensors have eliminated “the luxury” of taking days to deliver an iron mountain of supplies in a war zone. In fact, installations and infrastructures, once merely places where forces were trained and equipped, in the future will be “warfighting platforms from which we deploy from, but from which we need to maneuver,” Chiarotti said.

“We’re not organized to meet the future capabilities that we need for tomorrow,” he said, adding that inexpensive, expendable – or at least, risk-worthy – unmanned platforms could be one solution for long-haul supply in a large, contested environment. Other problems are more complicated, however. In a GPS- and communications-denied environment, “We have to be able to reduce the signature that the logistics force brings to the battlefield,” Chiarotti said.

Likewise, Deputy Commandant for Aviation Lt. Gen. Mark Wise noted that signature management was also an issue in his sector, noting that aviation has a transport and supply role, as well as air combat and defense. “How do I make myself hard to target if they see me, also, how do I keep them from seeing me?” Sustainability is a key issue for aviation, Wise said. “We need to make sure that we are focused on the sustainment. How do I move fuel and ordnance? That is a critical enabler that we’re spending a lot of time focusing on.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Lockheed Martin, tapped as one of six companies to provide a study for a proven, integrated and capable payload ship, able to patrol for extended durations, as part of the U.S. Navy’s Large Unmanned Surface Vessel (LUSV) competition, is partnering with Portland, Oregon-based Vigor Works LLC as the team’s shipbuilder. 

As prime contractor, Lockheed Martin will manage the program, deliver platform integration, systems engineering, combat management, automation and cyber solutions, Lockheed Martin said in a Sept. 17 release. 

“The Lockheed Martin team brings together nearly 200 years of combined experience in shipbuilding, integration, automation and autonomy,” said Joe DePietro, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager of Small Combatants and Ship Systems. “Our team is energized by and focused on delivering the Navy what they’ve asked for – a design for an affordable, low-risk ship capable of bringing the Navy’s Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) vision to life.” 

The Lockheed Martin team’s design uses a proven commercial ship that will be augmented with automation, autonomy and cybersecurity elements to house a payload. The design leverages Lockheed Martin’s autonomy and automation experience, including its platform-agnostic Sikorsky MATRIX technology that’s been used to fly a helicopter from a wireless tablet, and its AXIS control technology, used on more than half of U.S. Navy surface ships to manage engineering and machinery controls. 

Under the $7 million contract, Lockheed Martin will deliver the study within 12 months in advance of the next phase of the competition – the Navy’s LUSV Detailed Design & Construction competition. 

“We are honored to be part of the Lockheed Martin team and to leverage our extensive fabrication expertise, including previously building 16 USVs of various designs and sizes,” said Richard McCreary, Vigor vice president, business development. “We are ready to deliver a concept design that will help the Navy deploy a safe, efficient and affordable LUSV fleet for the future.”  

The Navy’s vision for USVs will enable the fleet to fight as a distributed, networked and more lethal force. USVs will provide extended presence across the globe with reduced risk to sailors and increased obstacles and complications for adversaries.