The U.S. Marine Corps is spearheading a new drone attack team in response to the proliferation of unmanned aerial combat internationally, according to the service.
The commanding general of training command, Maj. Gen. Anthony M. Henderson, along with the commanding general of the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, Brig. Gen. Simon M. Doran, established the Marine Corps Attack Drone Team, or MCADT, on Jan. 3.
The team will focus on integrating first-person view drones — aerial vehicles that transmit a live feed of their bird’s-eye view to remote displays — into the Fleet Marine Force.
“Today’s battlefield is changing rapidly, and we must adapt just as quickly. The Marine Corps Attack Drone Team will ensure that our warfighters remain at the forefront of precision drone employment, providing a critical advantage in future conflicts,” said Maj. Alejandro Tavizon, the Weapons Training Battalion Headquarters Company commander and officer in charge of MCADT.
The team, based at Weapons Training Battalion at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, is set to “develop and refine” armed first-person view drone training, speed up the timeline for the technology’s fielding and provide instruction through live training events.
MCADT will soon make its competition debut at the U.S. National Drone Association’s Military Drone Crucible Championship, which will take place from June 30 to July 3 in Florida. The team will compete against the 75th Ranger Regiment, among other units, by completing tactical missions that simulate combat.
The Marine Corps is particularly focused on the financial implications of drones. In a statement, the service noted the technology offered a range of up to 20 kilometers for under $5,000, a metric it says is more cost-effective than other costly weapons systems.
“Right now, our focus is on rapidly building proficiency by sending Marines to a variety of training courses and increasing hands-on familiarization,” Tavizon said. “Our goal is to ensure they can not only operate these systems effectively but also integrate them seamlessly into a team. This means mastering primary platforms, having redundancy with backup systems, and getting the necessary repetitions to employ payloads with precision under real-world conditions.”
Ukraine and Russia have employed the use of drones in their years-long war. Most recently, Russia launched 109 drones in a recent attack, according to The Kyiv Independent.
Yemen Houthi rebels — a militant group the U.S. has ramped up attacks against recently — have also relied on drone warfare to wreak havoc against vessels in the Red Sea.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
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