A Marine with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine

A Marine with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, prepares the newly developed “Black Hornet” unmanned aerial system for flight at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Aug. 5, 2016. The system, meant to increase initial visibility of the enemy before the Marines need to engage them, was built by the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL). MCWL is conducting a Marine Air-Ground Task Force Integrated Experiment (MIX-16) in conjunction with Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC-16) exercise to explore new gear and assess its capabilities for potential future use. MCWL identifies possible challenges of the future, develops new warfighting concepts, and tests new ideas to help develop equipment that meets the challenges of the future operating environment.