Revolutionizing Military Operations: Insights from the Maneuver Support, Sustainment, Protection, Integration Experiment (MSSPIX

Rajesh Uppal September 8, 2023 Army Comments Off on Revolutionizing Military Operations: Insights from the Maneuver Support, Sustainment, Protection, Integration Experiment (MSSPIX 222 Views

In the dynamic landscape of modern warfare, staying ahead of the curve is critical for military forces around the world. To ensure a decisive edge on the battlefield, the United States Army is continuously exploring innovative technologies and tactics through a series of cutting-edge experiments. One such groundbreaking initiative is the Maneuver Support, Sustainment, Protection, Integration Experiment (MSSPIX). In this blog, we delve into the MSSPIX and its role in revolutionizing military operations.

Army Maneuver Support and Protection refers to the various capabilities and systems that enable the Army to maneuver effectively and protect itself in a combat environment. This includes a wide range of capabilities, such as logistics, communications, intelligence, engineering, and force protection.

Logistics support is critical to maneuvering forces effectively, as it involves the planning, coordination, and execution of the movement, maintenance, and supply of personnel, equipment, and materiel. Communication support includes the infrastructure, equipment, and procedures needed to ensure that forces can communicate effectively with each other and with higher headquarters.

Intelligence support includes the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information to enable decision-making and situational awareness. Engineering support includes the construction, repair, and maintenance of infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and buildings, as well as other capabilities such as bridging and mine-clearing.

Finally, force protection refers to the measures taken to protect forces from enemy attacks, including defensive positioning, firepower, and active and passive protection systems.

All of these capabilities are critical to ensuring that the Army can effectively maneuver and protect itself in a combat environment

Understanding MSSPIX: Pioneering Next-Generation Solutions

MSSPIX is a forward-looking experiment conducted by the U.S. Army to evaluate emerging technologies and concepts in maneuver support, sustainment, and protection. The experiment aims to identify and harness the potential of novel technologies to enhance the Army’s operational effectiveness, responsiveness, and efficiency.

The experiment is built on three key pillars:

Maneuver Support: Evaluating technologies and tactics related to engineering support, bridging capabilities, and route clearance to ensure safe and agile maneuverability of military forces.
Sustainment: Exploring cutting-edge logistics solutions, autonomous resupply systems, and efficient maintenance practices to improve the endurance and self-sufficiency of military units.
Protection: Assessing innovative force protection measures, counter-unmanned aerial systems (UAS) capabilities, and next-gen electronic warfare systems to safeguard military assets and personnel.

Maneuver Support, Sustainment, Protection, Integration Experiment (MSSPIX)

The Maneuver Support, Sustainment, Protection, Integration Experiment (MSSPIX) is a series of experiments conducted by the U.S. Army to test new technologies and concepts related to logistics, sustainment, and force protection. The goal of the MSSPIX is to identify and evaluate emerging capabilities that can enhance the Army’s ability to support and protect its forces in a variety of operational environments.

The MSSPIX is conducted by the Army’s Maneuver Support Center of Excellence (MSCoE) at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in collaboration with other Army organizations and industry partners. The experiments involve the use of new technologies and systems, such as unmanned aerial systems (UAS), autonomous vehicles, and advanced logistics and sustainment systems.

The MSSPIX experiments are designed to evaluate the effectiveness of these technologies and systems in various scenarios, including combat operations, disaster relief operations, and other complex operational environments. The results of the experiments are used to inform Army doctrine, training, and acquisition decisions, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the Army’s ability to support and protect its forces in the field.

The MSSPIX experiments are typically conducted over a period of several weeks or months and involve a range of activities, including field tests, live-fire exercises, and simulations. The experiments are designed to be realistic and relevant to the challenges faced by the Army in real-world operations.

One of the key objectives of the MSSPIX is to evaluate new technologies and systems that can enhance the Army’s ability to conduct maneuver support and sustainment operations. These capabilities include logistics automation and optimization, predictive maintenance, and advanced transportation systems. By improving logistics and sustainment capabilities, the Army can improve its ability to rapidly deploy and sustain forces in the field, which is critical to maintaining a tactical advantage over potential adversaries.

Another important objective of the MSSPIX is to evaluate new technologies and systems that can enhance force protection capabilities. These capabilities include new armor systems, active and passive protection systems, and advanced situational awareness technologies. By improving force protection capabilities, the Army can enhance the survivability of its forces in combat and reduce the risk of casualties.

In addition to evaluating new technologies and systems, the MSSPIX also provides an opportunity for the Army to test new concepts of operation (CONOPS) and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). These concepts and TTPs are designed to improve the Army’s ability to conduct maneuver support and sustainment operations, as well as to protect its forces.

MSSPIX is an important initiative that is helping the Army to stay at the forefront of technological innovation and to develop new capabilities that can enhance the effectiveness and survivability of its forces.

Overall, the MSSPIX is a critical initiative that helps the Army to stay at the forefront of technological innovation and to maintain a tactical advantage over potential adversaries. By identifying and evaluating emerging capabilities, the Army can develop new solutions to the challenges

Innovations at MSSPIX:

MSSPIX serves as a platform for showcasing and testing a wide range of advanced technologies that have the potential to revolutionize military operations:

Autonomous Systems: Autonomous ground vehicles and unmanned aerial systems are tested for their capability to provide reliable and efficient logistics support and reconnaissance, freeing up manpower for more strategic tasks.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning: AI-driven decision-making systems are explored for their ability to process vast amounts of data, improving situational awareness and streamlining critical operational planning.
Advanced Communications: Next-generation communication systems, including secure and resilient networks, ensure seamless connectivity across the battlefield and between command centers.
Energy Solutions: Innovative energy solutions, such as mobile microgrid technologies and renewable energy sources, are examined to reduce the military’s reliance on traditional fuel supplies.
Enhanced Protection: Cutting-edge force protection measures, including new armor technologies and active protection systems, provide heightened security for military vehicles and personnel.

MSPIX 24, event

The armed service issued a request in Feb 2023 for new technology to be included in its Maneuver Support & Protection Integration eXperiments 2024, or MSPIX 24, event.

Hosted by the Army’s Maneuver Support Capability Development Integration Directorate, or MS CDID, MSPIX 24 serves as a “centralized experimentation and analysis process for technologies that may provide desired capabilities” that allows the service to test new technologies and determine future capability requirements in line with its multi-domain operation goals.

Last year’s event took place in May 2022 and included 14 technologies tested at various installations across the country, including the Mobile-Acquisition, Cue and Effector, or M-ACE, which paired with radar technologies to help disable moving targets like drones, Army officials said in a blog post.

Experiment Objectives. The MSPIX24 Experiment Objective

Army officials are specifically focusing four potential capabilities: tools that can provide predictive and real-time protection related information to help offer commanders situational awareness; an autonomous capability to mechanically breach through obstacles and verify the lane is clear of any hazards prior to maneuver; obscurants, camouflage and systems to help counter enemy targeting over multiple spectrums; and autonomous decontamination tools.

Objective: Assess potential material opportunities to better enable Maneuver Support & Protection contributions to Multi Domain Operations (MDO). Specifically:

Capability that provides the Maneuver Commander with predictive and real-time protection related information. Seeking a capability that integrates protection relevant information to provide situational awareness and display a comprehensive Common Operational Picture (COP) for commanders to quickly gain situational understanding. The information would allow for decision making that would allow forces to maintain the operational tempo within the commanders’ intent.
Capability to autonomously proof a lane. Seeking a capability to mechanically breach a lane through an obstacle and verify the lane is clear of any hazards prior to allowing the Maneuver element through the breach.
Obscurants, Camouflage, and systems that effectively and efficiently counters enemy targeting and acquisition of friendly forces over multiple spectrums. Seeking a capability to ‘obscure’ friendly forces, in all conditions, prior to being targeted by the enemy to minimize loss of life and equipment.
Capability to conduct autonomous decontaminant operations. Seeking a capability that decreases manpower required to conduct decontamination operations

which provides operational and thorough decontamination.

Interested stakeholders must submit proposals to the Army by April 28, with officials later determining whether the proposed technology will meet “predefined learning demands.”

Stakeholders must identify in their proposals ties to the Army’s current modernization priorities, learning demands with each technology proposed, identifying skill sets and how many soldiers will be required for each technology, participate in MSPIX planning meetings and identify how experiment results can be utilized after the final report is complete.

Key Insights and Implications:

The MSSPIX experiment has yielded valuable insights and implications for modern military operations:

Agility and Resilience: By leveraging autonomous systems and advanced logistics solutions, military forces can achieve greater agility and resilience, adapting swiftly to dynamic battlefield conditions.
Enhanced Sustainment: The integration of AI-driven decision-making and advanced communication systems optimizes sustainment processes, ensuring timely and efficient resupply, maintenance, and support.
Force Protection Advancements: The incorporation of next-gen protection technologies enhances the safety and survivability of military assets and personnel, mitigating potential threats from adversarial forces and asymmetric warfare.
Reduced Logistics Burden: Innovative energy solutions and autonomous logistics systems reduce the logistics burden on military units, allowing them to focus on core combat tasks.
Data-Driven Decision Making: The utilization of AI and machine learning in data analysis empowers commanders with real-time, data-driven insights, enabling more informed and strategic decision-making

The Path Forward:

As the MSSPIX experiment continues to yield positive results, the U.S. Army and military forces worldwide are poised to adopt the most promising technologies and concepts into their operational strategies. The integration of autonomous systems, AI-driven decision-making, and advanced protection measures will redefine the modern battlefield, ensuring greater operational efficiency and effectiveness.

The insights gained from the MSSPIX experiment will undoubtedly shape the future of military operations, providing a pathway to revolutionary advancements in maneuver support, sustainment, and protection. As technology continues to evolve, the MSSPIX remains an invaluable initiative for staying at the forefront of innovation, securing a decisive advantage on the battlefield, and safeguarding the lives of military personnel. Through the MSSPIX, the world is witnessing a transformation in military operations, ushering in a new era of preparedness, resilience, and success on the modern battlefield.

References and Resources also include:

https://fcw.com/defense/2023/02/army-looking-experiment-autonomous-real-time-technologies/382943/