Compass Points - Friend or Foe?
Know your friends.
Compass Points - Friend or Foe?
Know your friends.
May 8, 2024
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The Marine Corps has a problem identifying friend from foe. Identifying friend and foe goes far beyond a simple technology issue. First, though, the technology issue. An article in the National Defense Magazine reports,
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Marine Corps’ new drone-destroying Light Marine Air-Defense Integrated System is a ground-based air defense system designed to deter and neutralize unmanned aircraft systems, but the service said it has an even bigger problem it needs to solve first: making sure it destroys the right ones.
Lt. Col. Michael Pruden, branch head at Marine Air Command and Control Systems Integration, Combat Development Directorate, said before deploying any kind of counter-UAS capabilities, “First, I need to be able to go ahead and detect that UAS, and I need to identify it, then I need to go ahead and target it, and I need to destroy it.”
The process of seeking and destroying drones would ideally involve knowing that the drone is friend or foe, but that’s easier said than done . . . .
-- National Defense Magazine
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The problem of identifying friend and foe has long been an issue in aviation. Collins Aerospace has been in the IFF business for more than 70 years.
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Identification Friend or Foe is an identification system designed for command and control. It enables military and civilian air traffic control interrogation systems to identify aircraft, vehicles or forces as friendly, and to determine their bearing and range from the interrogator.
In today’s ever-changing global environment, it’s more critical than ever to use a proven, secure question-and-answer system that distinguishes platforms as friendly, enemy or neutral.
-- Collins Aerospace
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Putting technology aside, all nations and all militaries must know who their friends are and who is the enemy. Iran, for example, clearly knows their enemy. The enemy are the "arrogant powers" particularly the US and Israel. The Tasnim News Agency, a propaganda outlet for Iran, explains that Iran is expanding the battlefield against their enemy.
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“We are broadening the battlefront so that the enemy becomes disintegrated,” the IRGC commander added. He emphasized that the Islamic territories must join hands in the fight against the arrogant powers, because Muslims face a common enemy, have a common fate, and share aspirations.
He warned that the presence of the arrogant powers, above all the US, in the Islamic world brings about nothing but havoc, poverty and massacre.
-- Tasnim New Agency
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Iran can clearly identify their enemy. Can the Marine Corps identify their friends?
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Not very long ago the outgoing Commandant suggested that open and unfettered discussion about the future of the Marine Corps was not wanted.
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The Marine commandant said Wednesday, in some of his most pointed public comments yet about his naysayers, he was surprised by “the lack of trust” in the Marine Corps by those who oppose his restructuring of the force.
-- Marine Times
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Identify friend and foe. Aviation transponders can solve the technology issue of who is friend and who is foe, but transponders cannot solve the larger issue. Who is friend and who is foe? Are current leaders of the Corps open to discussion and disagreement? Do current leaders have regular discussions and exchange with those who see the future of the Marine Corps differently? Or, like the former Commandant, do current leaders flee from open discussion and ask for more "trust?"
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Identifying friend and foe goes far beyond a simple technology issue. The broad community of Marines including active-duty, Marine veterans, families, and friends of the Corps all are putting their shoulders to the wheel to move the Marine Corps forward. Just because someone offers an alternative, a creative solution, or a piece of constructive criticism, that does not mean they are a Marine Corps foe. Far from it. Check the transponder signal again.
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Those engaging in discussions about the future of the Marine Corps are not the enemy. Those engaging in robust discussion about the future of the Marine Corps are friendly forces. They are devoted, experienced, insightful, engaged, and passionate forces. Compass Points salutes all those working with energy and enthusiasm to build the Marine Corps of the future. It will take ongoing and robust discussion, debate, and discourse, inside and outside the active-duty Marine Corps, to ensure that everyone's common goal is achieved, a Marine Corps that is strong today and stronger tomorrow.
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National Defense Magazine - 5/1/2024
MDM News: Marines Have a Drone Identification Problem
By Laura Heckmann
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Tasnim News Agency - 05/07/2024
Iran Widening Battlefront to Break Up Enemy: IRGC Chief
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Marine Times - 06/22/2023
Top Marine pushes back on critics’ ‘lack of trust’ in Corps’ overhaul
By Irene Loewenson
One should not trust that “one trick pony.” Either we are a robust capability COCOMS (and, the American people) can rely on for heavy combat action, or we’re not. I really think it is as simple as that. We need to put muscle back on the skeleton. The good news is that we have bright people to do just that, plus the added blessing of many senior officers in our retired community who have answers to our many questions. Press on. Semper Fi!
“lack of trust”?
My simple reply – “Trust must be earned, and actions which undermine trust must meet with strict censure.” FMFM 1; 1989; p. 45
And now we have two Commandant’s who missed the trust part of the US Marine Corps “Warfighting” Doctrine.
General Berger’s and Smith’s real sin is they missed a golden opportunity to establish the US Marine Corps senior leadership as the best strategic thinkers in the Department of Defense. General Berger could have stood up and stated the “island chain strategy” is not a military strategy. He could have stood and stated that any war with the CCP would be a global war and our military strategy needs to recognize that simple assumption. A global war at any time, now or in the immediate future, will be a war over the control of SLOCs.
He could have stated, what the CCP fears most is the strategic mobility of the US Military and our ability to utilize the joint and combined arms forces. The CCP strategically recognizes it is essential that they keep the Chinese people working and fed. They also recognize and fear the fact that every Chinese Dynasty in its history began its fall from internal descent.
He could have stated, a key part of that US strategic mobility is the US Marine Corps and US Navy’s ability to project sustainable combat power globally. Yes, our US Navy amphibious capacity has atrophied during two 20 year wars that we have won tactically but lost strategically. The lack of amphibious shipping is denying all Combatant Commands the availability of the full combat capability of the US Marine Corps. Let’s make sure that our military and political leadership focuses on that issue. Let’s ensure that the US Marine Corps, as the “first in” 911 force, has the capacity to not only fight as a MAGTF but also to coordinate the Combatant Commanders Joints Force as it is allocated and deployed into their AOR.
Yep, a missed opportunity due to a lack of trust in US Marine Corps War Fighting Doctrine and its amphibious instincts. Two Commandants apparently missed the leadership class that stated TRUST MUST BE EARNED. Semper Fi