07.17.2026
Story by Sgt. Alexis French
MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. – Amidst the remote sands and sweltering heat of the California desert, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, embarks on the U.S. Marine Corps’ pioneer test of the JUMP 20-X equipped with the Switchblade 300 Block 20 at the conventional level during Service Level Training Exercise 4-26.
JUMP 20-X is a Group 3 unmanned aircraft system possessing capabilities of 12 hours in-air flight time, electro-optical infrared camera payloads, a 115-mile operational range, and up to 30-pounds of payload capacity—leading to one of Jump 20-X’s biggest assets: the Switchblade 300 Block 20, a loitering munition released from the undercarriage of the JUMP 20-X.
On July 16th and 17th, 2nd Marines experimented JUMP 20-X equipped with the Switchblade 300 Block 20 munition alongside developer, AeroVironment. In a groundbreaking success for the regiment, they accurately engaged a target 25 kilometers into the battlespace.
“[Switchblade 300 Block 20] can be launched, go into a holding pattern as you look for your adversary and you can directly fly some organic precision fires that are tube launched from Marines on the ground,” said CWO2 Christopher Leone, the 2nd Marine Regiment intel operations and fusion officer; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tactical controller. “For the JUMP 20-X experiment that we’re doing, AeroVironment has tested its capabilities to launch that same ground loitering munition from the belly of the bird itself.”
Incorporating the Switchblade 300 Block 20 into the battlefield gives the Marine Corps an additional loitering munition that organically incorporates with troops on the ground–similar to Organic Precision Fires-Light that is currently used by infantry units–and provides fires at the regiment level to engage the adversary.
“We at 2nd Marines are the first ones testing a Group 3 asset at the Regimental level,” Leone said. “[The Marine Corps has] the Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadrons 1, 2, and 3 that fly the MQ-9s in the Group 5 level of assets, but it would be great for the Regiment because we’re outside of the [air] wings. We’re supporting the Ground Combat Element that doesn’t have an asset that can fly as far as the Group 5, so this is something that hasn’t been tested before.”
2nd Marines realizes the positive impact this Group 3 asset will have in future operations as it provides capabilities not found in the Marine Corps’ other assets.
2nd Marine Regiment has only USMC Group 1 Program of Record in their arsenal to include the Puma AE, and quadcopters such as SkyDio X2D and Sky Raider, stated Leone.
With Group 1 assets having small duration flight times ranging from 30 minutes to an hour and a half and limited flight distance, the JUMP 20-X stands out for its longevity and ability to travel miles into deep battlespace.
“[JUMP 20-X] is big for us, and to fly it into the regimental deep space as we’re looking to shape fires in the environment for our battalions to keep moving towards the next objective–none of our current PORs that are Group 1 would be able to go that far,” Leone said. JUMP 20-X is a product of AeroVironment, who is also the producer of the Marine Corps’ Puma AE. Having that working relationship with the company, 2nd Marines reached out in February of this year, interested in their Group 3 capabilities.
“As the [2nd Marine] Regiment, this is the first conventional unit to at least test and do a combat research and development agreement with AeroVironment,” Leone said, referring to the predominant units working with AeroVironment being special forces across the Department of War. “We invited AeroVironment out here for our mid-planning conference, all in support of SLTE 4-26, and they agreed upon it and are in direct support of the regiment to give us this capability.”
As of now, 2nd Marines does not have any Small Unmanned Aircraft System Operators, MOS 7316, who have the training to fly Group 3 assets.
We’re trying to fix the lack of pilots for Group 3 through this week’s testing, experimentation and research, Leone said. Currently, MOS 7300 Marines fly the Group 2 Stalker and Group 5 assets.
Through learning side-by-side with AeroVironment contractors, who operate JUMP 20-X for the Marines at SLTE 4-26, 2nd Marines is confident that with their support through MDMX and MWX force-on-force later this August, they’ll be ahead of the curve in targeting the adversary–advancing the Marine Corps’ future of UAS capabilities deep into the ever-changing battlefield.
