Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Cali --
Since 2018, the National Defense Strategy (NDS) has emphasized the shift from counterinsurgency operations in the Middle East to preparing for large-scale conflicts against near-peer competitors across various regions and theaters of operations. In response to the shifting geopolitical reality, the Marine Corps launched Force Design, a strategic blueprint for modernization aimed at preparing the Corps for an era of renewed great power competition.
Key to this critical modernization effort, Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity (MCTSSA) is leading Marine Corps Systems Command’s efforts in testing, integrating, and supporting advanced technologies. By supporting experimentation and prototyping efforts, conducting developmental testing on unmanned systems and secure communications while advancing cybersecurity measures, MCTSSA enables the Marine Corps to maintain effectiveness in contested, multi-domain environments—working with stakeholders across the Corps and Joint Force to accelerate Force Design’s critical implementation.
In a recent House Appropriations Committee meeting, Gen. Christopher J. Mahoney, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, referred to MCTSSA as a “standard bearer” for innovation in support of Force Design.
He noted, “We’re allocating a significant portion of our resources to force modernization because we have to achieve Force Design faster. Marines have the ability to innovate fast and fail fast, but most of all learn fast before the cost has to be paid in blood.” This statement underscores MCTSSA’s pivotal role in operationalizing future warfighting capabilities and driving the Corps’ shift toward a multi-domain force, ready for contested environments.
MCTSSA: A key contributor to Force Design
MCTSSA is far more than a support entity—it is leading aspects of the Marine Corps' transformation into a force optimized for future conflicts. By integrating advanced technologies like secure communications, cyber defense, and unmanned systems, MCTSSA ensures the Corps can navigate the complexities of multi-domain warfare. In partnership with the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab (MCWL), MCTSSA’s ability to rapidly test and evaluate emerging technologies not only enhances decision-making and operational effectiveness but also contributes to the Marine Corps' competitive edge in a rapidly evolving threat environment.
According to Col. Craig Clarkson, commanding officer at MCTSSA: “The organization serves as a central learning hub for the Marine Corps. We work with multiple stakeholders while integrating and processing vital information across domains to ensure effective decision-making within the Service and the Joint Force. By leveraging our unique lab environments, advanced technical expertise, and tight partnerships with program offices and operational units, MCTSSA enables the Corps to rapidly gather, analyze, and disseminate data—ensuring the Marine Corps remains agile and prepared for future conflicts. MCTSSA's work is critical to the success of the Marine Corps as it pivots to become the JTAC of the joint force.”
A prime example of MCTSSA's leadership is its significant contributions to the Pentagon's Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) initiative. Aimed at creating seamless interoperability across the Joint Force, CJADC2 ensures that warfighters can quickly and securely share the critical data required to act quickly across air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains.
Through initiatives like the Army’s Project Convergence, MCTSSA worked alongside MCWL, the Joint Force, and coalition partners to refine joint integrated fires, demonstrating the Marine Air Ground Task Force’s (MAGTF) ability to command and control, and execute complex, coordinated actions. As Maj. Steven Gore, MCTSSA’s naval integration lead, noted, MCTSSA also validated crucial sensor integration capabilities, enhancing the Corps’ ability to manage and control joint fires across domains.
In his words: “We demonstrated the Marine Air Ground Task Force Command and Control (MAGTF C2) prototype’s ability to execute joint fires during PC-C4 and validated multiple sensor integration capabilities, including weapon track quality improvement for commercial radars. We also demonstrated the ability to provide C2 capabilities to the Navy and leveraged software that increased the weapon control system capabilities on a Littoral Combat Ship and a Guided-Missile Destroyer.”
This successful integration of joint fires and command and control systems highlights just one example of MCTSSA’s critical role in enabling the operational effectiveness of CJADC2 across the Joint Force.
Collaboration in Autonomy
In addition to CJADC2, MCTSSA has been instrumental in advancing the Corps' collaboration with the Joint Force, particularly through the integration of cutting-edge Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs). MCTSSA’s Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch is leveraging decades of expertise testing amphibious and ground combat vehicles in the littorals to test emerging autonomous systems in partnership with program offices, the Naval Research and Development Establishment, and larger DoD Science and Technology ecosystem.
Through its work in CJADC2 and its collaboration on USVs, MCTSSA exemplifies its role as a leader in Force Design implementation. The Activity’s focus on rapid testing, integration, and support for emerging technologies ensures that the Marine Corps remains agile, responsive, and ready for the challenges posed by near-peer competitors. By leading innovation across key areas like command and control, secure communications, and autonomous systems, MCTSSA is helping drive Marine Corps modernization efforts.
In concert with MCTSSA's efforts, the Marine Innovation Unit (MIU)—another one of CMC’s “standard bearers” -- plays a crucial role in Force Design by leveraging commercial and science and technology partnerships. According to Lt. Col. Mathison Hall, an MIU team member assigned to MCWL:
“A key aspect of Force Design's philosophy is that the Marine Corps must develop forces that are more flexible and adaptable to fluid operational environments compared to the past, from tactics to acquisitions, including gear and weapons. MCTSSA's unique authorities and its connections with Marine Corps units, as well as commercial and science & technology (S&T) firms, are critical in enabling this adaptability.”
Agile Acquisition in Action
Acquisition speed is a proven force multiplier on the modern battlefield. MCTSSA’s designation as the Corps’ first--and only-- Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratory (STRL) enhances its ability to rapidly prototype critical technologies, enabling it to bypass traditional bureaucratic delays. Adopting a prototyping methodology of “build, deploy, measure, and report,” MCTSSA has effectively expanded its lab environment into the operating environment, garnering real-time feedback from end-users. This approach gives Marines in the Fleet a voice, assists capability developers in connecting use cases to requirements, and helps program managers pivot towards the future faster. This direct connection between the FMF, MCWL, MCTSSA, and program managers is essential for Force Design and actions driving rapid evolution towards the future fight.
In an era of renewed great power competition, MCTSSA stands as a "standard bearer" for innovation in support of Force Design. MCTSSA’s ability to innovate, integrate, and rapidly deploy critical technologies in partnership with MCWL and supported program offices, ensures the Corps is prepared for current and future battlefields. MCTSSA’s collaboration with the Joint Force, particularly in initiatives like CJADC2 and unmanned systems, strengthens interoperability across domains, enabling coordinated actions and data sharing. In the race to modernize, MCTSSA embodies the agility and forward-thinking mindset that the acquisition community must embrace in order to equip the warfighter to bring the fight tonight.