The United States Marine Corps has recently unveiled significant details regarding its ambitious Dynamis Series, an initiative dubbed a „technology accelerator sprint project” aimed at rapidly modernizing the Corps’ command and control (C2) architecture to ensure seamless interoperability with other military services. This endeavor seeks to fundamentally transform how Marines operate on the future battlefield.
Breaking Down Silos: A Joint Vision for Command and Control
Col. Arlon Smith, director of Project Dynamis, underscored the necessity for a radical shift in system development. „What we don’t want to do is what we’ve always done in the past: siloed programs, by silo services,” Smith stated. „You build them, and then we all try in combat to figure out how they connect. What we want to do is take advantage of the peacetime we’re in, take advantage of the momentum we have… and build something that’s inherently joint, that’s going to ultimately prepare Marines for the battlefield we’re going to face.” The series involves multiple „events of increasing complexity,” strategically layered over existing exercises to maximize opportunity.
Serials in Action: Milestones in Interoperability
Each event within the Dynamis Series is dubbed a „serial.” Serial 001, launched in December, successfully demonstrated a large-scale common data transport. In January, Serial 002 focused on establishing a technical engineering baseline for integrating additional software and hardware capabilities. Most recently, the Corps concluded Serial 003, joining the Army’s 4th Infantry Division’s Ivy Sting 4 event. This strategic partnership aims to incrementally add capabilities to scale the service’s Next Generation Command and Control to an entire division.
„What we’re looking to do is build on the momentum the Army has with an incredible program to build something from the ground up that’s inherently joint. What we’re looking to do is adopt and integrate some of the things they’re [Ivy Sting] working on as well, to be a fast follower, and to take our little dollars and partner with some of the bigger dollars that are out there,” Col. Smith explained.
From Vision to Formal Mandate: The Genesis of Dynamis
The Dynamis Series stems from Project Dynamis, the Marine Corps’ contribution to the Pentagon-wide Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) effort, designed to connect „sensors to shooters” across the entire battlespace, encompassing all services and key international partners. The project was initiated by a paper authored roughly three years ago by Col. Jason Quinter, who observed that the Marine Corps was not moving fast enough relative to other services, such as the Navy’s Project Overmatch, the Army’s Project Convergence, and the Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System. A September memo from the assistant commandant formally established Dynamis, appointing a director and a cross-functional team, along with unique acquisition authorities.
The Acid Test: Delivering Real Capabilities to the Warfighter
While enjoying significant senior-level attention and support, the long-term success of Dynamis hinges on tangible progress. „The metric for success is delivering real capabilities that work… because if we’re not delivering capabilities that matter to warfighters, the honeymoon will end very rapidly,” Smith warned. „At the end of the day, this is a serious business with serious requirements.”
Officials are looking to scale capabilities developed by the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, Special Operations Command, and other services, including sensitive but unclassified-encrypted functionalities. Col. Craig Clarkson, commander of MCTSSA (Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity), highlighted that work under the Dynamis umbrella involves taking existing programs of record and porting their software from monolithic programs onto small-form-factor servers for joint use. One of the early tools is the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) C2 prototype, a small-form-factor, high-compute hardware stack capable of operating anywhere, including in degraded communication environments.
The Dynamis team is working closely with I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) and its subordinate units, adopting a similar model to the Army’s approach of selecting a division for implementation. With the Dynamis Series, the Marine Corps is not merely modernizing its own command and control architecture; it is actively contributing to a broader, joint vision crucial for the interoperability and effectiveness of U.S. armed forces in facing future challenges.
