During the five-day training exercise, Marines operated a SEAB and conducted maritime operations from the island of Ukibaru, Okinawa. A SEAB is comprised of an active radar site and a passive sensor site. The passive site employs communication surveillance to detect and track potential adversary forces by analyzing electromagnetic frequencies and signal activity. Once an object is detected, the passive site will alert the active site to begin scanning, confirming, and identifying the object. When certain frequencies reflected are identified as adversary forces, this data is then communicated to the passive site in the form of targeting data.

Through advanced training and realistic scenario-based exercises, SEAB aims to develop the skills and expertise necessary to execute missions with unprecedented speed and precision. By embracing process innovation, SEAB will be able to stay ahead of evolving maritime threats, achieving greater efficiency and effectiveness in its operations. The future of SEAB will be characterized by its ability to rapidly adapt to changing circumstances.

“Our goal is to enhance our capabilities within the kill chain, making it faster by enabling any sensor or any Marine,” said 2nd Lieutenant Kenneth C. Brewer, intelligence officer, 3d Radio Battalion Detachment, 31st MEU.

By modernizing the kill chain, the 31st MEU and other sensor teams in the Marine Corps will be able to integrate with target engagement authorities and enhance targeting. This will substantially decrease the time from sensor detection to tactical engagement, resulting in more effective targeting. As a result, the Marine Corps will be able to respond more quickly and effectively to emerging threats, increasing its speed and lethality in future operations.

Additionally, Marines with the 31st MEU coordinated with the 12th Littoral Logistics Battalion (LLB) to operate a TRUAS as part of a tactical resupply mission, demonstrating the system’s advanced logistical capabilities. The TRUAS is an unmanned aerial system designed to deliver a variety of supplies to remote and inaccessible areas with unprecedented speed and precision. It can carry approximately 150 pounds of cargo, including ammunition, food, water, medical equipment, and communication gear. During the training, Marines from the 12th LLB programmed a TRUAS to fly over open water and conduct a resupply mission to sustain forces operating in the SEAB. The 12th LLB’s ability to integrate and train with the 31st MEU enhances the unit’s ability to provide reliable, rapid, and adaptable logistical support in contested littoral regions.

“The TRUAS provides a simple, reliable resupply option in contested environments,” said Capt. Kyle Emerick, a future operations officer with 12th LLB, 12th Marine Littoral Regiment. “Its low sensing signature allows it to move undetected, ensuring critical supplies reach their destination efficiently.”

In efforts to continue modernizing the Marine Corps, the 31st MEU Marines were also being innovative when using mobile sensors from RHIBs and further integrating the MQ-9A Reaper into maritime sensing operations. U.S. Navy Sailors with Tactical Air Control Squadron (TACRON) 12, PHIBRON 11, tactically inserted into the field to perform integrated training with the 31st MEU. TACRON 12 participated in the integrated missions that tested the usage of a MARNET radio and its relationship with an MQ-9A Reaper while moving around the ocean on RHIBs. Once ashore, the Sailors participated in various training scenarios such as water purification training led by a Marine water support technician, establishing an elevated active radar site, and embedded as the Marines practiced active sensing across a simulated battlespace.

In the future, the analysis and dissemination of critical signals intelligence will play a crucial role in enabling SEAB personnel to inform the targeting process, ultimately supporting the deterrence of enemy forces in a maritime environment. As SEAB continues to evolve, Marines will be able to leverage advanced technologies, innovative processes, and become an integral part of a complex kill chain that excels in detection, identification, tracking, targeting, engagement, and assessment of targets.

The 31st MEU, the Marine Corps’ only permanently forward deployed force, is operating aboard ships of the USS America Amphibious Ready Group in the 7th Fleet area of operations, the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

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