The U.S. Marine Corps is reshaping its Aviation Combat Element under Aviation Plan 2026, moving away from fixed-base airpower toward a distributed, unmanned-enabled force built for contested Indo-Pacific operations. The plan expands MQ-9A Reaper use, advances the MUX (Marine Air-Ground Task Force Unmanned Expeditionary) program, and integrates unmanned systems into Distributed Aviation and Command and Control Operations. The goal is to create a resilient network of sensors and strike assets that can withstand peer threats and enable faster decision-making for Marine Air-Ground Task Forces operating in hostile environments. Read full Defense Aerospace New at this link …
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| A U.S. Marine Corps MQ-9A Reaper sits on the flight line at a forward operating location, supporting distributed aviation operations under Aviation Plan 2026 with persistent ISR, maritime domain awareness, and network extension capabilities. (Picture source: U.S. Department of War) |
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