New crewed-uncrewed tech put to the test at NAWCAD’s 2025 Thunderdome

Thunderdome, an annual event hosted by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (UX) 24 and NAWCAD’s Webster Outlying Field, brought together government and industry leaders to demonstrate and evaluate emerging Counter Uncrewed Systems (C-UxS) technologies July 21-24 in St. Inigoes, Maryland.

This experimentation exercise provided participants the opportunity to work with multiple uncrewed systems and scenarios, foster development, and demonstrate capabilities to address the rapid expansion of adversarial uncrewed capabilities.

MQ-9A Reaper

The MQ-9A Reaper is a U.S. Marine Corps' Block V Unmanned Aircraft System that perform multi-mission Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions over land or sea.

Unmanned Logistics Systems - Air

Description: Unmanned Logistics Systems - Air (ULS-A) supports a variety of tactical resupply mission requirements when risk to ground and manned air systems are deemed unacceptable due to austere operating environments and elevated ground threats. The program aligns with Commandant of the Marine Corps planning guidance and force modernization for fielding of unmanned logistics capability to support distributed maritime operations, the related Marine Corps and Navy concepts of littoral operations in a contested environment and Expeditionary Air Base Operations.

Family of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Description

Small UASs are reusable, and man-packable/portable. They provide a means to see the battlespace beyond line-of-sight restrictions. The systems fulfill a need for organic, real-time Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA) and battle damage assessment at the small unit (battalion and below) level. Assets support numerous unit types across the Marine Air-Ground Task Force and the Navy fleet.

UAS Payloads

Description: The Capabilities Development program provides the capability to develop, integrate, field, and sustain tactical UAS payloads, ground systems, and enabling technologies for Group 1-3 aerial platforms in the Marine Corps Family of UAS primarily focused on Marine Littoral Regiments and Marine Expeditionary Units.

MQ-4C Triton

The MQ-4C Triton unmanned air system is a high altitude, long endurance (HALE) maritime aircraft capable of operating at altitudes above 50,000 ft, for 24-plus hours with a range of 7,400 nautical miles.
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