APRIL 16, 2024 – Marne Focus is an annual event designed to increase readiness and lethality across the 3rd Infantry Division.
As battlefields change and emerging technology introducing new threats, 3rd ID partnered with the Threat Systems Management Office (TSMO) to bring a new dynamic into their training– drone swarms.
1st Armored Brigade Combat Team got to experience drone swarms firsthand as TSMO inaugurally took part in 3rd ID’s Marne Focus exercise.
“This really gives the opportunity to put every echelon in the field and fight a dynamic enemy that had all domains against them,” said Col. Jim Armstrong, commander of 1st ABCT, 3rd ID. “Having to react to drone swarms, trying to find the enemy and all those things were a complete package of training that really allowed us to look at every warfighting function and understand how we put those things together to win as a team.”
Marne Focus 2024 is the 3rd ID’s validation of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, indicating the brigade is ready to take part in a rotation at the National Training Center, a U.S. Army Maneuver Combat Training Center at Fort Irwin, California.
“The drone swarms gave the Raider brigade the opportunities to prepare for their upcoming CTC rotation and future threats,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jason B. Flowers, cyber and electromagnetic activities technician assigned to 3rd Infantry Division. “It also gave the brigade something that they aren’t used to training at Fort Stewart– it challenged their abilities to counter and increase each unit’s survivability.”
Supporting the 3rd ID for Marne Focus at Fort Stewart, TSMO used drone swarm technology to fly into areas of operation, to drop inert rounds, and allow Soldiers to hone their skills in countering unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) threats.
“With any maneuver unit, it’s guaranteed that they’re going to encounter UAVs at training centers and in situational exercises for years to come,” said Chris Phillips, a training specialist with the TSMO. “This is a key threat emerging that units need to anticipate and prepare for.”
This collaboration underscores 3rd ID’s commitment to modernization.
By integrating these new technologies and refining training methods, 3rd ID strengthens its ability to confront evolving challenges on the battlefield.
And through rigorous training, like Marne Focus, Soldiers learn to detect, track and neutralize hostile UAVs, exercising their responsiveness and situational awareness.
Story by Sgt. Daniel Thompson
3rd Infantry Division