AUKUS Partnership Kill Web Demonstration

Credit: Lance Cpl. Michael Bartman | Date Taken: 05/03/2024
U.S. Marines, and service members from Australia and the United Kingdom, participated in a kill web demonstration aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, May 3, 2024. The trilateral defense and security partnership amongst the three allies, also known as AUKUS, displayed their shared commitment to strengthen deterrence capabilities and promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. During a combat training scenario, service members from the three countries were joined by contractors from AeroVironment , an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer. Together, everyone worked to search, locate and destroy mock enemy tanks, using two inert Switchblade 600 munitions. Switchblade 600 munitions are direct fire loitering munitions systems that rely on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) provided by UAVs. Troops in command operations centers use ISR to detect enemy forces ahead of troops on the ground. Once enemy tanks are detected, rear troops will launch the Switchblade 600 and will loiter until a forward Marine directs it to the target for a strike. ( U.S. Marine Corps video by Lance Cpl. Michael Bartman)