Marines Pushing to Deploy Thousands of Attack Drones

“TOWNSVILLE FIELD TRAINING AREA, Australia -- On a hill overlooking an enemy position, Lance Cpl. Brandon Silden donned video goggles and prepared to launch one of the Marines' latest weapons: a small, one-way-attack drone that is revolutionizing modern warfare.

 

Silden's goggles gave him a bird's-eye view of the terrain as he piloted the drone. Cpl. Cody Holloway, who watched the video feed on a portable screen next to Silden, helped guide him to the target: an enemy armored personnel carrier about a mile away.

 

"Splash," a Marine said, just after the drone slammed into the target. "Direct hit."

 

The Marine Corps, and the U.S. military more broadly, is rushing to field these so-called "first-person view" drones, which have been successfully used in Ukraine. It is part of the large-scale effort by the U.S. military to acquire millions of drones and train units to use them.

 

But whether U.S. manufacturers can build enough of them, and the military can teach enough troops to operate them in large numbers, are open questions.

 

Though the Marines have moved quickly, "they're at the very start," said Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, who studies U.S. military strategy. "This isn't a capability they can currently field at scale yet."

 

The training exercise in Australia, which didn't involve actual munitions on the FPV drones, offers a window into how the Marines plan to use them in the field -- and how they can be an important tool for front-line units.

 

Air support and artillery can take out a target at a distance, but troops on the ground have to call up the chain to use them, and that often involves waiting, Grieco said. In contrast, FPV drones can be carried into the field by small teams, giving front-line commanders direct control of the drones, and the option to use them immediately for a precision strike or for reconnaissance.

 

For Maj. Joseph Adams, the Marine company commander at the training exercise, the FPV drones offer the capability to "look at a guy or call him over the radio and say, like, 'Hey, do it now,' " he said. "Having the ability to employ that when I need it, I think is massive."

 

One challenge has been finding drones that aren't made with Chinese parts, though U.S.-made options are emerging.

 

The drone used at the training exercise, the Neros Archer, has become one favorite. The Army just signed a contract valued at as much as $500 million with Neros. The company also won a multimillion-dollar contract with the Marines last year, and it says it has additional orders with the Marines. Archers are sold starting at $2,000 and go up to about $5,000.

 

The latest version of the Archer comes in several sizes, with smaller drones designed more for close-quarters and urban combat, and larger ones for longer-range strike. Neros says it is making 1,400 Archers a week and aims to produce one million drones annually out of its facility in Torrance, Calif., by 2028.

 

The Marines clearly want more drones. Late last year, the service put out a notice seeking 10,000 FPV-capable small drones in the next 12 months, with the ability to carry mortar bombs or grenades.

 

FPV drones could play an important role for the Marine Corps, which has been retooling to have a more nimble footprint and operate from remote islands in the Indo-Pacific. From there, they can control maritime chokepoints that would be crucial in a Taiwan conflict.

 

Front-line Marines can fly FPV drones to harass or target enemy ships in narrow channels nearby, teeing up antiship missile strikes. One recent Marine drill involved an FPV drone being launched from a helicopter to provide surveillance of a nearby ship. FPV drones could also be launched from surface vessels, including sea drone "mother ships."

 

However, some islands are known for rough weather, making it difficult for FPV drones to operate. And the Marines might struggle to get large numbers of FPV drones to isolated island outposts.

 

"The Marines are working the resupply problem, including pursuing autonomous resupply boats and training Marines to build and repair drones, but it's still a long way from solved," Grieco said.” [1]

 

This training sounds like children play and it is children play in reality. Swarms of precise missiles and drones are important and not discussed here. The larger the swarm is, the higher chances are to exhaust enemy’s defenses. China has the highest drone production capability. Starting a drone war with China would be risky.

 

Massive swarms of drones and precise missiles can overwhelm enemy defenses, and China holds a dominant position in global drone manufacturing capacity, making a direct conflict high-risk.

Strategic Reality of Drone Swarms

•           Exhausting Defenses: Large numbers force defenders to spend expensive interceptors on cheap targets.

•           Production Power: China builds a huge share of the world's commercial and industrial drones.

•           High Risk: Fighting an adversary with massive industrial scale creates major military challenges.

 

1. World News: Marines Pushing to Deploy Thousands of Attack Drones. Cherney, Mike.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 06 Aug 2026: A6.