Marines Complete Evaluation of MCTIS-WS Trainers

Seven weapon system surrogates were tested by Marines at Camp Lejeune to inform engineering changes before fielding.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Military Jobs

Isometric editorial illustration of seven matte olive-drab weapon-shaped training trainers in a row on a flat sand range, one partially disassembled to show modular internal blocks. — Program Manager Training Systems completed an August end-user evaluation of seven MCTIS-WS weapon surrogates at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., with feedback to shape engineering changes. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

In August, Program Manager Training Systems completed an end-user evaluation of MCTIS-WS weapon surrogates at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. Feedback collected during the evaluation will inform engineering changes and the system's eventual fielding.

Why it matters

The evaluation gives the program direct input from Marine users on how the trainers perform before they are fielded across the force. Identifying capability gaps now allows engineering changes to be prioritized ahead of wider deployment.

Over 20 Marines from the School of Infantry East served as subject matter experts for an evaluation covering seven weapon system surrogates. The results of the feedback review and the specific engineering priorities that will follow have not yet been disclosed.

The players

Program Manager Training Systems

The program office responsible for training systems that completed the end-user evaluation of the MCTIS-WS surrogates.

Training and Education Command

The Marine Corps command that coordinated the evaluation with Program Manager Training Systems.

School of Infantry East

The Marine Corps training school at Camp Lejeune that provided more than 20 subject matter expert Marines for the evaluation.

The details

Program Manager Training Systems coordinated the evaluation with Training and Education Command. Day one included vendor-led system familiarization and hands-on evaluations, and day two featured an in-depth after-action review of the seven surrogate capabilities with vendors and program personnel. The surrogates include the M3A1 84mm MAAWS, M252A2 81mm Mortar, M224A1 60mm Mortar, FGM-148 Javelin, Mk19 40mm Grenade Launcher, M41A7 Saber, and a Small Unmanned Aircraft System Appended Drone Targeting System Kit trainer.

August: End-user evaluation of MCTIS-WS surrogates completed at Camp Lejeune.

Roadmap

The evaluation follows the standard Marine Corps practice of collecting end-user feedback on training systems before fielding them. It places the MCTIS-WS surrogates within the Training and Education Command's broader process for modernizing how Marines train on crew-served and infantry weapons.

For Marines training on these weapon systems, the feedback gathered now shapes the trainers they will use once fielded. Changes identified in the evaluation could affect how and when the training equipment reaches units.

The takeaway

Direct user testing before fielding is how the Marine Corps identifies gaps in training equipment early, when changes are still practical. Feedback from Marines who will use these trainers is what drives the engineering decisions that follow.