US Marines from Battalion Landing Team 1/5 (BLT 1/5), 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), shared counter-UAS (C-UAS) technology and tactics during training with the Philippine Marine Corps’ 3rd Marine Brigade at Tarumpitao Point, Palawan, Philippines, between 17 and 21 October.
The training, part of Exercise KAMANDAG 8, included a demonstration of portable RF jammers and the NightFighter II, a handheld C-UAS tool designed for use in austere environments. Capable of neutralising a hostile UAS at long range, the NightFigher II is designed to disrupt a drone’s signals before it can carry out its mission.
The 15th MEU is the first deployed MEU to employ a NightFighter II system ashore while training with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific.
New technologies and tactics for small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) were also demonstrated including a custom 3D-printed attachment that can release multiple munitions at the command of the sUAS operator.
“The work we’re doing here will help refine how we and our Philippine partners may fight together in the future,” said US Marine Corps Lt. Col. Nicholas Freeman, commanding officer of BLT 1/5. “We’re not just incorporating new technology — we’re building habits of constant learning, adaptation and problem-solving as new threats and opportunities emerge.”
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Image: US Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Amelia Kang
