U.S. Marines demonstrate a new way to fight from the coast

The U.S. Marine Corps' 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit operated two dispersed forward sites simultaneously near Camp Pendleton to test coastal sensing, command and aviation support. One expeditionary base combined coastal radars, electronic sensors and small drones to detect, identify and report moving vessels, while the second linked a forward command post with an aircraft arming and refuelling point. The command network connected both sites with ships offshore and aircraft overhead, allowing aviation assets to refuel and rearm without returning to a main base. The training also exposed the personnel and logistics burden of sustaining distributed operations.