The origin of Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity (MCTSSA) can be traced back to Marine Air Control Squadron 3 (MACS-3). Activated in 1944, MACS-3 was a Marine Corps aviation command and control squadron. Its focus was air defense, air traffic control, radar systems, and early warning. MACS-3 participated in World War II and the Korean War. MACS-3 later served as an operational test and evaluation squadron and in the 1960s participated in large research and development projects. The Marine Corps realized MACS-3 was not properly staffed to develop, test, and acquire new digital equipment. There was a need for the Marine Corps to keep pace with emerging technology of tactical data systems in the 1960s. This need served as the catalyst for the activation of MCTSSA.
In 1968, Litton Industries conducted a study with the purpose of exploring new and emerging tactical data systems. The study recommended the creation of a Tactical Data Systems Support Center at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. The Marine Corps determined that MACS-3 would serve as the nucleus of this new organization. On June 30, 1970, MACS-3 was de-activated and re-designated as MCTSSA.
MCTSSA was envisioned as an agile, highly technical organization that could serve as a catalyst in adopting and sustaining new command and control technologies across the Marine Corps. Upon activation, MCTSSA expanded to become the largest Research, Development, Test and Engineering (RDT&E) organization in the Marine Corps with nearly 400 officers and Marines and 50 civilian employees. Much like today, MCTSSA conducted research through numerous engagements with civilian and military institutions while educating and supporting the operational units. MCTSSA engaged with organizations including RAND Corporation, Litton Industries, China Lake Naval Weapons Station, Naval Research Laboratory, 4th Marine Division Landing Force Training Command, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Institute of Defense Analysis, Naval Sea Systems Command, the Marine Aircraft Wings, and multiple allied military forces.
During the 1970’s, MCTSSA’s focus was conducting testing and engineering on radar systems such as the AN/TSG-129 Position Location Reporting System (PLRS) and the AN/TPS-32 Army/Navy Transportable Pulse Radar Search 32.
In 1983, a new Table of Organization was approved for MCTSSA for software support, Tactical Data Systems, and testing of amphibious assault vehicles which would later become the Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch (AVTB).
On November 1, 1998, MCTSSA was designated as the Marine Corps Link-16 Network Design Facility (MC NDF). The MC NDF facilitates the Fleet Marine Force operational employment of Link-16 as the military tactical data link used by U.S. and Allied forces to include NATO. Link-16 is a data exchange network consisting of a mesh like architecture of platforms and Systems. Link-16 enables Joint and Combined Forces to share tactical data and feed the common operational, tactical, and intelligence pictures (COP/CTP/CIP). Link-16 facilitates the kill chain from the sensors; to the decision makers; to the shooters. The MC NDF ensures Marine Corps equities are captured and accurately incorporated into all Link-16 networks during the network design process by collaborating with other US and Allied Nations NDFs. Through the MC NDF, MCTSSA directly supports CMC’s Force Design, Priority 11, to provide “resilient communications architectures capable of closing kill chains in austere environments” while supporting reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance.
On November 1, 2017, the Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch (AVTB) was re-designated as a branch of MCTSSA due to Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) Force Structure Realignment. Since its inception in August 1946, AVTB has been at the forefront of amphibious vehicle testing and continues to be the DoD’s only test center specializing in the test, evaluation and development of the Marine Corps’ present and future amphibious combat platforms. AVTB has been the focal point for all generational upgrades of amphibious vehicles since the Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT) and performed an integral role in the testing of the Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV) and Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV). This tradition continues into the present day; as recent as January 2023, AVTB was CMC-directed to lead Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) surf-zone testing in order to ensure Marines maintain the advantage in littoral maneuver and can continue to operate safely when afloat.
On October 19, 2020, Marine Corps Forces Cyber Command approved the establishment of the MCTSSA Adversarial Cyber Assessment Blue Team dedicated to support Marine Corps Systems Command’s Programs of Record. The Team’s mission is to assess the effectiveness of the security and defense of Marine Corps Programs of Record (PoR). This Team enhances the acquisitions cyber test and evaluation capabilities and greatly aids in increasing the Marine Corps’ overall operational cyber resiliency in a contested cyber environment. MCTSSA directly supports the Marine Corps’ requirement to comply with Public Law 114-92-Section 1647. Mandated by congress, the “Secretary of Defense shall…complete an evaluation of the cyber vulnerabilities of each major weapon system of the Department of Defense.”
On June 2, 2021, the Chief of Naval Research designated MCTSSA a Technical Activity for the purposes of Domestic Technology Transfer. MCTSSA partners with industry, universities, and research organizations to help mature technology for application in operational use cases. MCTSSA’s current focus is on technology developed by commercial partners for potential usage in our laboratories in support of Force Design.
In January 2023, Commander, MCSC and Commander, Marine Corps Warfighting Lab (MCWL), signed a memorandum of agreement designating MCTSSA as the Command, Control, Computers, Communication, Cyber Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting (C5ISRT) experimentation hub for the Marine Corps.
October 6, 2023, MCTSSA was designated as the Marine Corps’ first Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratory (STRL). As a STRL, MCTSSA now possesses additional authorities and flexibilities to perform research and development, prototyping, assessments, modeling & simulation, developmental test and evaluation, and integration of emerging technology in support of the Marine Corps’ Force Design efforts and the larger Joint Force. These new authorities and flexibilities will allow MCTSSA to effectively maneuver through some of the coordination challenges that exist in the Defense Acquisition System. MCTSSA is now better positioned to support Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory initiatives, and Marine Corps program managers in accelerating the rapid development and delivery of capabilities needed by our Marines for the future.
MCTSSA remains flexible, resilient, and responsive to the rapid changes in technologies. The scope of the MCTSSA mission has increased and with it the civil servant population as a total percentage of unit’s manpower. MCTSSA’s current table of organization (T/O) is 168 civilians, 177 military, and employs about 190 contractors. Today, MCTSSA’s primary lines of effort are support to the warfighter, support to program offices, and support to Force Design. MCTSSA accomplishes objectives along these lines of effort through a Headquarters, Warfighter Support Division (WSD), Test and Engineering Division (TED), Information and Infrastructure Services Division (I2SD), Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch (AVTB), and Resources Division.
