U.S. Marine Corps Prepares the Use of Light Attack FPV Drones for Future Battlefield Operations.

The 1st U.S. Marine Division Schools conducted a Small Attack Drone Operators Course at Camp Pendleton, California, on January 23, 2026, as noted by the U.S. Department of War. The course underscores the Marine Corps’ effort to push low-cost, unmanned strike capabilities to tactical infantry units.

The U.S. Marine Corps is reshaping its infantry, as the 1st Marine Division Schools conducted a Small Attack Drone Operators Course at Camp Pendleton on January 23, 2026. Training confirmed by the U.S. Department of War on January 24, 2026, shows a broader push to deploy expendable unmanned aerial systems to frontline units, giving small groups surveillance and precision-strike options once reserved for higher levels.
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U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Jason Hamm, a small unmanned aircraft systems operator assigned to 1st Marine Division Schools, prepares to recover a Neros Archer first-person view attack drone following a live-fire iteration during the Small Attack Drone Operators Course at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, on January 23, 2026. (Picture source: U.S. Department of War)

The course trains and certifies U.S. Marines to employ first-person-view (FPV) attack drones, remotely piloted aerial vehicles that operators control via a live video feed. Marines use these drones to identify targets and conduct precision strikes. This capability underscores a growing emphasis on empowering small units with organic strike assets to operate independently in complex, highly contested environments.

Among the U.S. Marines participating were U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Joshdany Pinon, a grenadier with 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, and Lance Cpl. Nicholas Miller, an anti-tank missile gunner with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, was assigned to the 1st Marine Division. During the course, they piloted a Neros Archer FPV drone through a series of realistic training scenarios designed to replicate battlefield conditions.

The Small Attack Drone Operators Course goes beyond basic flight. Marines train in mission planning, target discrimination, low-altitude navigation, and precision strikes under time pressure and simulated threats. Instruction stresses coordination with maneuver units to sync drone effects with infantry operations.

Central to the training is the Neros Archer FPV drone, a compact and agile unmanned aerial system (UAS, a remotely controlled aircraft without a human onboard pilot) designed for short-range strike missions. The Archer is optimized for high-speed flight, precise maneuverability, and payload delivery, typically carrying a small explosive charge capable of neutralizing personnel, light vehicles, or fortified positions. Its FPV configuration allows U.S. Marines to fly the drone using a real-time video feed transmitted directly to goggles or a display, enabling highly accurate engagement even in confined or cluttered terrain.

The U.S. Marine Corps’ interest in FPV attack drones is heavily influenced by combat experience observed during the Russia-Ukraine war. In that conflict, FPV drones emerged as one of the most disruptive technologies on the battlefield, used extensively to destroy armored vehicles, suppress enemy infantry, and strike high-value targets at a fraction of the cost of traditional munitions. Both sides demonstrated that commercially derived FPV systems (civilian drones adapted for military use) could achieve tactical and operational effects disproportionate to their size and cost when rapidly adapted for military use.

Lessons from Ukraine stress the value of speed, adaptability, and decentralization. FPV drone operators work near the front, in small teams that find and strike targets quickly without waiting for higher approval. This shapes Marine Corps training and equipment choices, as seen in the Camp Pendleton course.

Instructors also strongly emphasize countermeasures and survivability. U.S. Marines operate in environments saturated with electronic warfare (the use of electromagnetic signals to disrupt, intercept, or disable enemy systems), learning techniques to reduce signal exposure, adjust flight profiles, and manage system vulnerabilities. They treat sustainment skills, including battery management, rapid repairs, and system configuration, as essential combat competencies.

The course deliberately selects U.S. Marines from multiple military occupational specialties (MOS, the specific job roles within the Marine Corps). Pinon, a native of Illinois, and Miller, a native of Washington, demonstrate that FPV drone employment extends beyond a single specialty. By cross-training grenadiers, anti-armor gunners, and other infantry U.S. Marines, the division boosts flexibility and resilience at the platoon and company levels.

From a doctrinal standpoint, the institutionalization of small attack drone training represents a shift in how the U.S. Marine Corps approaches precision fires (the application of accurate, timely use of weapons to hit specific targets). FPV drones significantly compress the sensor-to-shooter timeline, allowing U.S. Marines to detect, decide, and strike within minutes. This capability is particularly relevant in expeditionary and littoral operations (operations conducted in coastal or shoreline environments), where access to traditional fire support may be limited or delayed.

Strategically, the adoption of FPV attack drones aligns with broader U.S. defense modernization efforts and U.S. Marine Corps Force Design concepts. Modern battlefields demand dispersed operations, rapid adaptation, and cost-effective solutions to counter massed formations and fortified positions. Small attack drones offer a scalable, attritable option that complements traditional weapons systems.

As the 1st Marine Division expands this training, FPV drone operators are set to become standard in infantry units. Their integration signals recognition that success now depends on innovation and agility as much as firepower, and that mastering unmanned systems is critical for battlefield dominance.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.