Exercise Validates Stand-In Forces and Kill Webs in Contested Environments

The Marine Corps conducted Steel Knight 25, a critical campaign laboratory that tested distributed operations and stand-in forces in contested environments. The exercise validated kill webs and contested logistics, and demonstrated the importance of digital interoperability and speed of adaptation. The Marine Corps is developing the S²D framework for force insertion, which prioritizes survivability, sustainability, and duration. According to Breaking Defense, the exercise revealed significant challenges and opportunities for the Marine Corps as it continues to develop its distributed operations concept.