The Marine Air-Ground Task Force Training Command and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center are considering an additional $20 million investment in the Marines’ new 5G network training platform currently under testing in an exercise.
MCAGCC is demonstrating the new 5G-based communication and training capability at the Service Level Training Exercise 5-24 scheduled from July 13 to Sept. 11, the U.S. Marine Corps said Friday.
The exercise deployed two refurbished Cell on Light Trucks to demonstrate multi-domain operation simulation among other 5G training activities.
Matthew Moreno, assistant chief of staff for MAGTF-TC/MCAGCC communications directorate, said the exercise’s use of the repurposed COLTs demonstrates cost savings and efficient utilization of available resources. “We’re turning tens of millions of dollars in government assets into a high-value training tool for a fraction of the original cost,” he stressed.
According to Moreno, the USMC’s goal is to invest in an additional 11 to 15 permanent 5G training network sites plus six deployable counterparts.
Besides providing live, virtual and constructive training, other potential capabilities cited in using the 5G network include technology testing and development. The network is part of the USMC’s Project Tripoli creating live, virtual, constructive environments—dubbed LVCE—for training on a persistent, global, all-domain and all-echelon scale.