Marines Unveil New Drone Strike Unit

Key Points: The U.S. Marine Corps has formed a new Attack Drone Team (MCADT) with the objective of swiftly incorporating armed first-person view (FPV) drones, intended to boost the effectiveness of smaller combat units.

-Borrowing insights from Ukraine’s experience, where first-person view (FPV) drones greatly influence combat operations despite their drawbacks such as frequent malfunctions and susceptibility to electronic warfare, the MCADT will create training programs and establish requirements.

- A significant hurdle lies in connecting Ukraine’s swift innovations using Commercial Off-The-Shelf products with the more sluggish U.S. procurement processes, particularly in contexts relevant to the Indo-Pacific region.

The team plans to utilize both authorized and unauthorized drone systems, indicating their ability to adjust as this technology develops. technology .

The Aerial Strike Units Have Reached Their Destination

The U.S. Marine Corps reported that they established a new unit. Marine Corps Assault Drone Unit The development recognizes the quick spread of drone technology and the the substantial impact drones have had during the conflict in Ukraine.

"MCADT is dedicated to swiftly incorporating armed first-person perspective drones into the FMF, boosting the effectiveness of small units and supplying organic capabilities that our service members presently do not have access to," stated Major Alejandro Tavizon, who serves as both the headquarters company commander at Weapons Training Battalion and the officer in charge of MCADT, according to citations. in the announcement .

Through adopting new technologies and improving how drones are used, we ensure that Marines stay flexible, adaptable, and deadly in today’s combat environment.

The drone units will utilize insights gained from first-person view (FPV) drone battles in Ukraine and employ this expertise in contests between different service branches as well as at an international scale. The Corps clarified that the team’s objectives include:

-Establish and enhance armed FPV drone instruction for Marines throughout the entire force structure.

-Convey service-level requirements to guarantee the quick deployment of advanced technologies FPV technologies .

-Increase the effectiveness of individuals and units through practical guidance during intense competition exercises.

An extensive explanation of what the program aims to accomplish is provided. Available here from Marine Corps Times .

Lessons from Ukraine

A recent report from the Royal United Service Institute casts light on the growing importance of drones for Ukrainian forces front .

As mentioned earlier, tactical unmanned aerial vehicles possess considerable limitations .

Roughly 60 to 80% of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (FPVs) aren’t hitting their intended targets, varying based on location along the frontline and operator proficiency. Among those that do hit their marks, most don’t succeed in destroying armored units," state the report’s contributors. Nonetheless, "they have considerable effectiveness in injuring ground troops.

Moreover, there are extended intervals during which either EW or the weather considerably deteriorates. UAV operations . With FPVs that are remotely piloted by radio frequency, it is also difficult to concentrate multiple drones in time and space because they can interfere with one another's guidance systems. Despite these limitations, tactical UAVs currently account for 60–70% of damaged and destroyed Russian systems."

The back-and-forth dynamic between innovation and countermeasures unfolds with astonishing rapidity. Since the outset of this conflict, both payload capacity and operational range for these devices have seen significant enhancements. Additionally, the electronic warfare tactics employed against the aerial drones operated by opposing forces have advanced dramatically as well.

Some of the latest developments have seen outdoor net tunnels erected near the front to protect traffic from drones . Both sides have experimented with drones controlled not by radio signals, but by long lines of fiberoptic cable spooled out as the drone flies and becomes vulnerable to electronic countermeasures.

Indo-Pacific Limitations

While Ukraine is certainly at the forefront of drone technology, with lessons to teach about other conflicts in the future, the environment in Ukraine is inherently distinct from what the U.S. Marine Corps might encounter should they engage in combat within the Indo-Pacific region.

Although the frontline in Ukraine extends across well-defined and extensively fortified positions on either side, it centers around a line of engagement roughly 1,200 kilometers long. This setting contrasts sharply with how warfare might unfold in the Indo-Pacific region.

Primarily an ocean environment interspersed with islands and archipelagos, the Indo-Pacific is the largest of the Pentagon's combat commands. Thousands of kilometers of open ocean separate some of the region’s islands from each other—enormous gaps that FPV drones would be unable to bridge.

Nevertheless, in strategic scenarios, the importance of tiny FPV drones remains considerable.

"FPV drones offer squad-level lethality up to 20 kilometers for under $5,000, compared to more expensive weapons systems with less capability," the Marine Corps acknowledged. "This provides a cost-effective and scalable solution for modern combat."

Hurdles and Challenges

The incredible speed with which Ukrainian forces are able to assess and improve drone technology Utilizing readily available parts along with substantial support from Ukrainian programmers and developers represents a significant benefit. This approach sharply contrasts with how the Department of Defense acquires resources. In comparison, the Pentagon operates at an extremely slow pace.

The lengthy, multi-year acquisition procedures typical for developing the currently deployed equipment wouldn’t work in Ukraine’s extremely rapid prototyping scenario. There, prototypes could undergo testing in actual combat settings within weeks—or even just days.

What Happens Next?

U.S. Marines may still choose to advance into combat using the support of the U.S. Navy. However, upon landing, the Marine Corps aims for some insights gained from their recently established drone units through training and contests to prove useful when operating on land within the Indo-Pacific region. To ensure success for a USMC drone unit, though, the Corps must depart from the Department of Defense’s traditionally sluggish acquisition procedures and adopt proven, readily available technologies instead.

The Marine Corps appears aware of this distinction: In their latest drone teaming statement, they mentioned leveraging both "program of record and non-program of record small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and first-person view (FPV) controlled drones." This Pentagon terminology refers to officially approved and financed gear, along with technology not provided through standard military channels. Pentagon This is a heartening advancement that will boost the Marine Corps' effectiveness in combat from a distance.

About the Author: Caleb Larson

Caleb Larson He is an American multi-format journalist residing in Berlin, Germany. His journalism explores the overlap between conflict and societal issues, with particular emphasis on American foreign policy and European security matters. His reports have been filed from locations including Germany, Russia, and the U.S. Recently, his coverage focused intensively on the ongoing war in Ukraine, detailing the fluctuating frontlines in regions like Donbas and examining the human impact of the conflict. Before this role, he served as a Defense Reporter at POLITICO Europe. Follow him here. His most recent project on X .

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