The Marine Corps emphasized the need to adopt artificial intelligence and machine learning to achieve a decision advantage in the 2026 Marine Corps Aviation Plan, or AVPLAN, a 56-page document that outlines key capabilities, the strategic vision and the future direction of the service’s aviation division.
The 2026 AVPLAN, published Tuesday, revealed that the Marine Corps will utilize AI/ML to enable predictive maintenance, meet dynamic aviation supply demands and optimize operations.
Leaders from the U.S. military, federal government agencies and the private sector will be present at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 18 to discuss the evolving use cases and upcoming initiatives related to AI/ML. Secure your tickets here.
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How Is the 2025 AVPLAN Different From Its Predecessor?
The Marine Corps said in a press release that the 2026 AVPLAN is an evolution from the 2025 plan and marks the service’s transition from establishing strategic direction toward data-driven implementation.
The 2026 AVPLAN also offers “more defined, measurable and time-bound initiatives,” the service added.
How Will AI/ML Transform Marine Corps Aviation?
According to the AVPLAN, AI and ML are central to modernizing Marine Corps aviation and overcoming what the service describes as a reactive sustainment model. Today’s maintenance, supply and operational planning processes can slow readiness and limit the ability to support distributed operations, the USMC said. The plan calls for replacing legacy approaches and systems with modern data architectures, interoperable networks and AI-enabled decision support to anticipate needs and make faster and more efficient decisions.
Marine aviation intends to harness AI/ML tools with maintenance, supply and operational data to increase aircraft availability and enhance force lethality. The Marine Corps also expects AI/ML to enable distributed operations in contested regions in direct alignment with Project Dynamis, which is the service’s contribution to the Department of War’s Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control, or CJADC2.
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