U.S. Marines from across the Fleet Marine Force (FMF) converged with service members from U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) to refine space fires procedures during Marine Forces Space Command’s (MARFORSPACE) Fire Support Rehearsal Exercise (FSRE) hosted at Peterson Space Force Base (PSFB) from Nov. 18- 22, 2024.

The FSRE served as a critical testbed for space officers and fires practitioners from around the U.S. Armed Forces to integrate space effects with ground schemes of maneuver. The FSRE sought to explore how space effects can complement the timing and tempo of maneuver units to increase their lethality and survivability.

"This iteration provided a great opportunity to bring together Maritime Space Officers and fires personnel from across the MEFs. They gained a deeper understanding of space effects battle management in the context of Joint Fires." said Col. Richard M. Martin, the deputy commandant for Marine Forces Space Command (MARFOR SPACECOM).

This marked the first iteration of a space-focused FSRE that incorporated not only key planning considerations, but also integration with ground operations, paving the way for future exercises that blend multiple warfighting domains.

“By using ground fire support doctrine, Marines at the FSRE turned ‘geek to grunt’ to communicate space effects in a way that can easily integrate with the supported units’ schemes of maneuver”, said Capt. Ryan Cruz, a space operations officer with U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM). “After all, maneuver without fire is suicide, and fire without maneuver is pointless.”

A key focus of the exercise was the synchronization of space fires into the fire support coordination, tactical fire direction, and technical fire direction at the Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) All Domain Operations Center (ADOC), MEF HQ, and theater Joint Electromagnetic Support Operations Center (JEMSOC).

Through this synchronization, participants developed key outputs aimed at improving the integration of space fires into Marine Corps operations. These included the first-ever draft TAB X (Space Support Plan) to Annex C (Operations), which outlines how space fires will be incorporated into fire support planning. Additionally, a draft non-kinetic targeting flow was created to propose a detailed process for utilizing space fires within the Marine Corps intelligence apparatus and the Fires and Effects Cell (FEC).

“Significant progress was made in refining mission planning considerations at the fire direction officer (FDO) and mission commander levels”, stated Lt. Col Michael Bishoff, a space operations officer with MARFOR SPACECOM. “The FSRE produced valuable recommendations for future Marine Corps space operations doctrine, helping define space-related inputs in intelligence collection plans and fire support procedures.”

With emerging space capabilities proliferating throughout the service, FSRE acts as a practical application of such advancements in anticipation of these perpetually evolving technologies with a goal to turn its outputs into formal doctrine. The Marine Corps remains committed to leveraging space capabilities to enhance the timing and tempo of maneuver units, ultimately increasing their lethality and ensuring success in future conflicts.