Futures Directorate

Abstract

As a subordinate organization under the Deputy Commandant, Combat Development and Integration (DC, CD&I), the mission of the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory / Futures Directorate (MCWL/FD) is to identify future challenges and opportunities, develop warfighting concepts, and comprehensively explore options in order to inform the combat development process to meet the challenges of the future operating environment. DC, CD&I is designated as the United States Marine Corps (USMC) Advocate for Science and Technology (S&T). MCWL's Commanding General (CG) is the DC, CD&I designated Proponent of USMC S&T and serves as the USMC Executive Agent for Marine Corps S&T. The MCWL/FD also serves as the Marine Corps' liaison to the Joint Staff for Joint Concept Development and Experimentation; thereby facilitating service-specific experiments as well as participation in joint service experimentation. The current MCWL/FD Campaign Plan addresses how the Naval Services must reshape their capabilities in order to meet the concepts and Concepts of Operations (CONOPS) called for in the Secretary of the Navy's "Cooperative Strategy 21" and the Marine Corps' capstone Marine Operating Concept (MOC), according to the objectives of the Commandant of the Marine Corps' guidance to develop the future Marine Corps Force 2025. Execution of the MCWL/FD Campaign Plan results in recommendations to Marine Corps advocates and proponents so that they may more cohesively and logically structure the future Navy and Marine Corps team. In support of the Marine Corps' role to provide an ever-ready quick strike force to protect US interests, MCWL/FD pursues concepts and new capabilities focused on the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). The MAGTF is the Marine Corps' doctrinal, task organized, force deployment package. It consists of four elements: the Command Element that provides overarching Command and Control of the entire force; the Ground Combat Element normally built around a core infantry unit with supporting armor, artillery, and other ground units; the Aviation Combat Element which provides aircraft, air defense, and other aviation functions; and the Logistics Combat Element which consists of Combat Service Support elements including medical, supply, and transportation. Marine Corps Force 2025 also seeks to maximize the employment of electronic, information, and cyber warfare, as well as manned/unmanned teaming, within each element of the MAGTF. MCWL/FD also examines future enhancements in training, organization, and equipment. MCWL/FD accomplishes its mission through five subordinate Divisions: Futures Assessment Division's mission is to: research, examine, and describe plausible future security environments 15 to 30 years into the future. Knowledge of these future security environments will provide an estimate of possible future threats, challenges, and opportunities, to include: the rise of possible partners and adversaries, emerging disruptive technologies, and likely sources of conflict. This work is largely accomplished through research, seminar participation, and coordination with various experts in academia, the intelligence community, and think tanks. The mission of Concepts and Plans Division is to: examine select future security environments, emerging warfighting opportunities and challenges, and Naval warfare and joint/coalition integration and capabilities, in order to develop Marine Corps Service concepts and CONOPS to promote development of the emergent Marine Corps force. CAP is responsible for the production of formally published concepts, CONOPS, and options for future force organization and posture that describe how the Marine Corps will operate and fight. Wargaming Division conducts formal wargames to frame emerging warfighting concepts, establish the Joint context for the Marine Corps Force Development System, and identify opportunities for development of experimental and non-experimental capabilities. Experiment Division conducts live force concept-based experimentation to facilitate exploration of prototype and surrogate technologies, as well as Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs), in order to better refine equipment requirements and to identify Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership, Personnel, and Facilities (DOTMLPF) initiatives needed to produce future capabilities. Science and Technology (S&T) Division conducts investigations and assessments to identify, modify where appropriate, and evaluate technological capabilities that support advanced warfighting concepts, and to explore the military utility of promising new commercial or government technologies in support of urgent and compelling needs. MCWL/FD investigates the relevance to MOC-prescribed capabilities and gaps of advanced technologies according to the following Thrust Areas: Command, Control, Communications, and Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR); Autonomy and Robotics; MAGTF Fires; Maneuver; Expeditionary Logistics (to include Expeditionary Energy); Expeditionary Medicine; Cyber and Electronic Warfare (EW); and Force Protection. This project is organized into 6 activities, the core of which are represented by the Warfighting Capability Areas of the MAGTF. The project emphasizes development and demonstration of advanced technology capability concepts, and the examination of their operational application and military utility in the context of live-force field experimentation with Marines. This operational experimentation directly supports Marine Corps combat development to inform future capability requirements and optimize the acquisition process.

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Document Type: Project
Publication Date: Oct 01, 2020
Source ID: 2297_0603640M_3_1319_PB_2020

Futures Directorate

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