Modern Day Marine 2025 took over the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., on April 29-May 1. The event, sponsored and co-hosted by the Marine Corps League and Marine Corps Association, is the largest military equipment, systems, services and technology expo targeted to the Marine Corps. With a theme of “Ready Today, First to Fight Tomorrow,” the event draws attendees from the U.S. military and government and GovCon to learn from more than 100 leaders and 350-plus exhibitors about today’s challenges and ways to address them, especially through technology.
Procurement Priorities
The 39th Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Eric M. Smith, gives his remarks during the State of the Marine Corps panel at Modern Day Marine 2025 (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Steven Wells)
Amid efforts by top government leaders to streamline resources and budgets, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith had a message for industry: “I’m interested in buying what I need, not buying what you’re selling. What I need is lethal capability that’s affordable, that’s light, that’s getting more autonomous, that matches the needs that I have with the Marine Corps. If you’re in difficult budget times, if you’re looking for us to invest in something, it’s got to match my priorities.”
He urged companies to home in on pitches that work for the formations the service already has and the capabilities it needs, not to make “a bank shot.”
Some of those needs include modern technology for the developing fifth-generation fighter jet fleet. The new aircraft are equipped with weapons technology from the 1980s – a problem that the service is looking to industry to help with, said Lt. Gen. Bradford Gering, the Marines’ deputy commandant for aviation, and Col. Derek Brannon, director of the Cunningham Group.
Additionally, a recent West Coast exercise revealed the need for more virtual and live training options and decision-centric aviation operations driven by data using large language models. Artificial intelligence and machine learning will be crucial to that. For instance, the technology could predict aircraft component failures, said Lt. Gen. Bradford Gering, deputy commandant for aviation.
“We’re pursuing those really hard right now because it’s all about data,” Gering said.
Another area the Marine Corps is seeking industry input on is autonomous solutions to battle drone swarms, which have become a major threat.
“The big thing that really keeps me up at night is swarms,” said Col. Andrew Konicki, head of ground-based air defense for Marine Corps Systems Command, adding that being able to strike those drones from a ship or the shore is vital to Marines’ safety.
“That is how we’re going to say ahead of the adversary, with autonomy,” added Commandant Gen. Smith.
Budget Changes
In more budget-related moves, the Marine Corps Program Executive Office Land Systems is overhauling portfolios so that all programs that fall under a single capability will be submitted together, creating an all-or-nothing funding approach.
“If you only fund pieces, we’re not going to meet what our requirement is going to be, and again, that’s a big cultural shift for us within the Marine Corps,” said Barbara Gault, program manager of the Expeditionary Radars office.
Similarly, Col. Jeffery Van Bourgondien, program manager of the Marine Air Ground Task Force Command and Control office, said he is also working to enable more flexible spending. By fiscal 2027, the office will have one program element for procurement funds, one for research development, test and evaluation, and a third for operations and maintenance.
“That allows me to move money across my entire profile and solve gaps for various capabilities, even in stride and during the current year of execution, without having to do any type of below threshold reprogramming and get that authorization from higher headquarters,” Van Bourgondien said.
Data-Driven Operations
U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Matthew Deffenbaugh, left, Lt. Col. Seth Nicholson, center, and Lt. Col. Ian Plummer, right, give their remarks during the Shaping and Preparing the Environment with Stand-In Forces panel at Modern Day Marine. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Steven Wells)
Data is taking a central role in supporting combat operations for the Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC).
“You have data that is at the forward tactical edge, and you need to get to a decision-maker,” Lt. Col. Matthew Deffenbaugh said. “Regardless of how we’re collecting that data … somebody has to fill that gap to fuse it into a picture that a decision-maker can understand in order to authorize a lethal capability or non-lethal capability.”
One way to address that is to “push that intelligence fusion to the lowest tactical level…to be able to put [lower-level officers] out on the tactical edge and enable them with the intelligence and communications capabilities to fuse all that data,” he said.
The command is also taking aim at first-person-view (FPV) drones, a technology that has become a favorite among allies and enemies. “We’re operating in some of the most remote corners of the world right now, and we’re seeing that our adversaries […] just have incredible capabilities,” said Maj. Gen. Peter Huntley, MARSOC commander. “They said they have FPVs, right? They have the ability to sense you. They have the ability to hit you from a distance.”
Another technology that is changing the combat operations game is artificial intelligence, and a key use of it is in data aggregation, he said. “The automation of the intelligence cycle…that’s going to drive speed of your [decision-making],” Huntley said.
With so many changes afoot, we will be watching closely to see what Modern Day Marine 2026 brings!