Members of the 505th Operations Squadron from Nellis AFB, Nev., helped prepare the Marine Corps’ Regimental Combat Team-8 for deployment to Afghanistan during Exercise Spartan Resolve at Camp Lejeune, N.C. The squadron’s joint integration team supplied a Theater Battle Management Core System to introduce marines to the systems and protocol for requesting Air Force airborne intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance assets and monitoring real-time execution of ground support. They also trained the marines on the tactics, techniques, and procedures for employing remotely piloted aircraft like the MQ-1Predator and MQ-9 Reaper. “Our goal is to ensure the regimental staff understands the capabilities and limitations of assets like the Predator and Reaper that will be at their disposal while they’re in Afghanistan,” said Lisa Jalbert, an RPA specialist with the JIT. (Camp LeJeune report by Casey E. Bain)
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
