In the austere deserts or isolated island outposts of the future, the Marine Corps wants its aircraft to land on a functioning airfield 90 minutes after the required equipment is flown in via an MV-22 Osprey or CH-53 King Stallion.
This bold aim is not theoretical; it is the centerpiece of a plan to push expeditionary airfield capability to the edge of survivability.
The effort is called Expeditionary Precision Approach Landing Capability, EPALC, and the service is seeking industry input on flight line navigation systems that would allow the Corps to land any of its aircraft, manned or unmanned, in all weather conditions.
In a fresh request for information, Naval Air Systems Command asks industry for details about systems that can operate inside a C 130, an MV 22 or a CH 53 while enabling rapid setup.
The system must fit inside an MV-22, CH-53, or C-130 and enable a four person team to set it up in no more than 90 minutes.
It must provide precision approach guidance when visibility is limited to half a mile and have an operating range of 20 nautical miles. The gear must be rugged with “environmentally hardened” features capable of enduring -20 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity up to 85 percent.
These requirements align with Marine Corps “Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations,” a forward looking operating concept the Corps has developed over the last decade that emphasizes dispersed operations with self-sufficient small units in the littorals, or coastal regions.
The text shows the kind of thinking that seeks to keep Marines mobile, resilient, and ready when call up comes.
EABO “involves the employment of mobile, low-signature, operationally relevant, and relatively easy to maintain and sustain naval expeditionary forces from a series of austere, temporary locations ashore or inshore within a contested or potentially contested maritime area in order to conduct sea denial, support sea control, or enable fleet sustainment,” according to a description published by the service in 2021.
That description underlines the aim of operating in contested zones with small, adaptable forces, and it helps explain why a portable landing system matters so much.
The new capability described in the RFI parallels the ship based Joint Precision Approach and Landing System, JPALS, that has revolutionized aircraft carrier landings by providing GPS based guidance to the flight deck, taking much of the guesswork out of catching the wire, particularly at night or in low visibility weather conditions.
It is part of a broader ecosystem that links ship and land based capabilities to keep aviation ready wherever war requires.
That’s no accident. JPALS is made by RTX owned Collins Aerospace, which has also developed the land based expeditionary Joint Precision Approach Landing System, eJPALS, built for rapid deployment and “full functionality within just 90 minutes,” according to the company.
The industry partner notes that the land based eJPALS and ship based JPALS systems complement each other seamlessly, working in conjunction with the JPALS airborne software and providing pilots with familiar instrumentation, and it can come with an optional surveillance feature to support air traffic control.
The Marine Corps has already had an opportunity to test out a version of eJPALS. In 2021, the system was quietly shipped to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, for a three week demo involving 50 landings, including the vertical approaches performed by the service’s F 35B Joint Strike Fighters, according to a report.
An executive told the outlet at the time that the Marine Corps was “looking at ways of incorporating [eJPALS] into the next budget request.”
The company has also pitched eJPALS to the U.S Air Force. The new RFI, which will “allow NAVAIR to conduct and identify possible sources in the commercial marketplace capable of providing Expeditionary Precision Approach Landing Capability,” according to the solicitation, represents an early step toward actually investing and fielding the technology.
Interested companies have until Jan. 16 to respond with descriptions of tech that matches NAVAIR’s requirements.
From a political perspective, this is exactly the sort of modernization that resonates with supporters of President Trump who have urged for a stronger, more ready force. They see EPALC as a practical path to expanding arena reach without expanding risk to personnel. The effort also aligns with the aggressive posture championed by pro military voices who argue for speed, agility, and resilience in the field.
Pete Hegseth has long advocated a robust, modern military that can project power rapidly and decisively. In that frame, EPALC fits a strategy to deter adversaries by raising the cost of contesting maritime spaces and coastal environs. The concept of dispersed operations with mobile, self supporting bases echoes a broader push for readiness and resilience in a dangerous, unpredictable world.
As the service moves toward fielding EPALC, it will face practical hurdles, including the need for secure, jam resistant navigation and robust cyber protections. Yet the dual track of ship based JPALS and land based eJPALS, paired with a portable system that can be deployed quickly, could deliver a decisive edge in austere environments.
The potential to keep Marine aircraft airborne and on target when weather and distance threaten to complicate operations represents a meaningful shift in how the United States can project power from sea to shore and from land to sea.
This approach shows a disciplined emphasis on readiness, speed, and adaptability. If the effort delivers as promised, it could influence force structure decisions and sway allied interoperability in ways that strengthen deterrence and reassure partners across the globe. The RFI marks a cautious but ambitious step toward making Expeditionary Precision Approach Landing Capability a real, deployable asset.