OPF-M

The U.S. Marine Corps is laying the groundwork for a support contract worth $50 million to $75 million tied to its expanding loitering munition and fire support programs, including a kamikaze drone capability. A sources sought notice released April 8 by Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, Virginia, offers one of the clearest public snapshots yet of how the service is preparing to sustain its next-generation precision strike systems. The notice is not a contract award and does not cover the direct purchase of weapons, but it outlines a future requirement for engineering, logistics, software, and lifecycle support across the Marine Corps’ fire support and loitering munition portfolios over one base year and four option years. The planned contract is estimated at $50 million to $75 million, a figure that highlights the scale of infrastructure and technical support needed as the Corps moves closer to fielding these systems. At the center of the effort is Organic Precision Fires-Light, or OPF-L, a loitering munition system intended for small Marine units operating on the front line. The Marine Corps describes OPF-L as a beyond-line-of-sight precision strike capability for squad- and platoon-level units. Put simply, it is intended to give small formations the ability to launch kamikaze drones at targets well beyond the reach of their rifles and other direct-fire weapons. The notice says the system is expected to begin fielding in September 2026, placing it on a near-term deployment timeline. That schedule suggests the program is moving from development toward operational rollout. The Marine Corps’ documents show that OPF-L is meant to strike targets while reducing the exposure of Marines to enemy direct and indirect fire and while limiting collateral damage. For units operating in dispersed formations, that offers a way to engage threats without closing distance. The Corps is also developing a larger companion system, Organic Precision Fires-Medium, or OPF-M, aimed at battalion-sized formations. Unlike the lighter version built for smaller units, OPF-M is intended to deliver anti-armor and anti-material effects at the full range of a unit’s reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition systems. Together, the two programs show that loitering munitions are being built into multiple layers of Marine operations, from small tactical teams to larger maneuver elements. The upcoming support contract goes well beyond program administration. The draft performance work statement shows the selected contractor will be expected to provide systems engineering, acquisition support, lifecycle logistics, software development, testing support, and subject matter expertise for fielded systems. That work spans both the newer loitering munition programs and the broader Marine Corps fires architecture, including the M777A2 towed howitzer, targeting systems, fire-control software, counterfire radars, and command-and-control platforms. In effect, the Marine Corps is placing its legacy artillery systems and emerging drone-based strike systems under the same modernization and sustainment framework. The requirement also includes support for key fire-control and targeting software such as the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System, the Target Handoff System, and the Handheld Video Data Link. These systems are used to identify targets, coordinate fires, and connect sensors to shooters. Importantly, the current notice does not mean the Marine Corps is immediately buying $75 million worth of kamikaze drones. Instead, this is part of the government’s market research process under federal acquisition rules, used to identify companies capable of supporting the programs before a formal solicitation is issued. Still, the size of the planned contract and the September fielding timeline make clear that the Marine Corps is investing heavily in the support structure needed to bring loitering munitions into frontline service.

OPF-M

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OPF-M

U.S. Marine Corps launches kamikaze drone program for frontline units

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