How US Marine Corps Is Preparing Its Units for FPV Drone Warfare to Enhance Low Cost Lethality
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On January 3, 2025, at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, the commanding generals of the Training Command and the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory officially launched a major new initiative: the establishment of the Marine Corps Attack Drone Team (MCADT). This new entity is tasked with rapidly integrating armed first-person view (FPV) drones into Marine Corps operational units. These systems, which have become widespread in contemporary conflicts, particularly in Eastern Europe, are reshaping tactical dynamics due to their low cost, flexibility, and capacity to deliver significant effects at short and medium ranges. Aware of the rapid evolution of these emerging threats, the Marine Corps aims to adapt its doctrine and capabilities to avoid falling behind adversaries who are already employing such technologies extensively.
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On March 7, 2025, a Neros Archer first-person view drone was displayed resting on a case during a demonstration at the Weapons Training Battalion range on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. (Picture source: US DoD)
Placed under the authority of the Weapons Training Battalion (WTBn) at Quantico, MCADT builds directly on the expertise developed by the Marine Corps Shooting Team (MCST), which has 124 years of experience in precision marksmanship. The creation of this drone unit represents a natural extension of an institutional culture focused on mastery of individual weapon systems, enhanced now by a technological dimension essential in today’s operational environments. Captain Alejandro Tavizon, commanding officer of WTBn Headquarters Company and officer in charge of MCADT, emphasizes that this unit addresses a critical capability gap by providing small units with an organic precision strike tool that is immediately deployable and significantly more affordable than traditional systems.
MCADT is now positioned as the Marine Corps’ reference unit for FPV drone employment. Its role includes training Marines on these new systems, representing the Corps in inter-service and international competitions, and contributing to the development of new tactics based on modern battlefield conditions. The unit’s operational build-up is grounded in continuous training cycles, field experimentation, and feedback integration. Its mission also involves creating standardized training programs, evaluating equipment based on unit requirements, and conducting hands-on instruction to increase individual and collective lethality across the Fleet Marine Force (FMF).
The first major milestone for MCADT will be participation in the “Military Drone Crucible” organized by the U.S. National Drone Association, scheduled for June 30 to July 3, 2025, in Florida. The event will bring together elite units, including the 75th Ranger Regiment, to conduct tactical exercises involving FPV drones and small unmanned aerial systems in realistic, scenario-based missions. These missions will include complex tactical insertions and full mission profiles using various control methods such as radio frequency, fiber optics, and onboard artificial intelligence. After the event, MCADT will evaluate the results, share lessons learned, and propose tactical adjustments to improve the effectiveness of drone-equipped units.
Continuing this momentum, a final selection event will be held in April 2026 at Quantico, alongside the Marine Corps Marksmanship Competition. The event will serve as a broader selection opportunity to identify top drone operators within the Marine Corps who will augment MCADT’s capabilities. This initiative aligns with the expansion of the “Competition-in-Arms” program, which will now include drone competitions within the broader marksmanship competition framework, enabling skill development across both domains in a cohesive manner.
On March 7, 2025, a Skydio X2D drone was seen hovering during a demonstration at the Weapons Training Battalion range on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. (Picture source: US DoD)
The program is characterized by its ability to generate squad-level lethal effects using platforms that cost under $5,000 and have an effective range of up to 20 kilometers. This configuration provides a cost-effective, scalable alternative to heavier, more expensive weapon systems that may lack the same tactical adaptability. MCADT is already using a range of drones—both official programs of record and others outside formal acquisition channels—with logistical and technical support from the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory. Additional systems are expected to be delivered in the coming weeks, further expanding the unit’s ability to conduct a wide range of missions.
In the near term, the emphasis is on intensive training and practical familiarization with the equipment. Marines assigned to MCADT are enrolled in specialized courses to achieve full system proficiency, test backup configurations, and rehearse realistic engagement scenarios. The goal is to ensure seamless integration of these drones into combat formations, with proven ability to deploy payloads accurately under operational constraints.
Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, FPV drones have emerged as one of the most widely used and effective tools on the battlefield. Initially deployed extensively by Ukrainian forces and later adopted by Russian units, these systems are used to neutralize armored vehicles, infrastructure, and mobile targets using low-cost, often improvised explosive charges. Based on civilian drone platforms modified in-theater and operated with immersive headset controls, FPVs have proven capable of bypassing many traditional defense systems. Their widespread use is also driven by the viral spread of strike footage on social media platforms, creating constant tactical innovation among combatants and accelerating the development of navigation, piloting techniques, and electronic warfare countermeasures.
In response to this shift in the nature of warfare, the United States, particularly the Marine Corps, is now entering a phase of doctrinal development focused on FPV drones. While the U.S. military already possesses a sophisticated arsenal of tactical and strategic unmanned systems, it has so far lagged in the adoption of low-cost, improvised FPV platforms that have emerged outside conventional acquisition processes. The launch of MCADT aims to close this gap by adapting models observed in Ukraine to the operational realities of Marine Corps units. Unlike centralized drone operations managed from the rear, FPVs are envisioned here as organic tools integrated at the small-unit level, offering immediate, flexible, and decentralized strike capabilities. The dual objective is to train a new generation of skilled operators capable of acting quickly and to develop an employment doctrine grounded in recent combat experience while adapted to the expeditionary nature of U.S. Marine operations.
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On January 3, 2025, at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, the commanding generals of the Training Command and the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory officially launched a major new initiative: the establishment of the Marine Corps Attack Drone Team (MCADT). This new entity is tasked with rapidly integrating armed first-person view (FPV) drones into Marine Corps operational units. These systems, which have become widespread in contemporary conflicts, particularly in Eastern Europe, are reshaping tactical dynamics due to their low cost, flexibility, and capacity to deliver significant effects at short and medium ranges. Aware of the rapid evolution of these emerging threats, the Marine Corps aims to adapt its doctrine and capabilities to avoid falling behind adversaries who are already employing such technologies extensively.
On March 7, 2025, a Neros Archer first-person view drone was displayed resting on a case during a demonstration at the Weapons Training Battalion range on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. (Picture source: US DoD)
Placed under the authority of the Weapons Training Battalion (WTBn) at Quantico, MCADT builds directly on the expertise developed by the Marine Corps Shooting Team (MCST), which has 124 years of experience in precision marksmanship. The creation of this drone unit represents a natural extension of an institutional culture focused on mastery of individual weapon systems, enhanced now by a technological dimension essential in today’s operational environments. Captain Alejandro Tavizon, commanding officer of WTBn Headquarters Company and officer in charge of MCADT, emphasizes that this unit addresses a critical capability gap by providing small units with an organic precision strike tool that is immediately deployable and significantly more affordable than traditional systems.
MCADT is now positioned as the Marine Corps’ reference unit for FPV drone employment. Its role includes training Marines on these new systems, representing the Corps in inter-service and international competitions, and contributing to the development of new tactics based on modern battlefield conditions. The unit’s operational build-up is grounded in continuous training cycles, field experimentation, and feedback integration. Its mission also involves creating standardized training programs, evaluating equipment based on unit requirements, and conducting hands-on instruction to increase individual and collective lethality across the Fleet Marine Force (FMF).
The first major milestone for MCADT will be participation in the “Military Drone Crucible” organized by the U.S. National Drone Association, scheduled for June 30 to July 3, 2025, in Florida. The event will bring together elite units, including the 75th Ranger Regiment, to conduct tactical exercises involving FPV drones and small unmanned aerial systems in realistic, scenario-based missions. These missions will include complex tactical insertions and full mission profiles using various control methods such as radio frequency, fiber optics, and onboard artificial intelligence. After the event, MCADT will evaluate the results, share lessons learned, and propose tactical adjustments to improve the effectiveness of drone-equipped units.
Continuing this momentum, a final selection event will be held in April 2026 at Quantico, alongside the Marine Corps Marksmanship Competition. The event will serve as a broader selection opportunity to identify top drone operators within the Marine Corps who will augment MCADT’s capabilities. This initiative aligns with the expansion of the “Competition-in-Arms” program, which will now include drone competitions within the broader marksmanship competition framework, enabling skill development across both domains in a cohesive manner.
On March 7, 2025, a Skydio X2D drone was seen hovering during a demonstration at the Weapons Training Battalion range on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. (Picture source: US DoD)
The program is characterized by its ability to generate squad-level lethal effects using platforms that cost under $5,000 and have an effective range of up to 20 kilometers. This configuration provides a cost-effective, scalable alternative to heavier, more expensive weapon systems that may lack the same tactical adaptability. MCADT is already using a range of drones—both official programs of record and others outside formal acquisition channels—with logistical and technical support from the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory. Additional systems are expected to be delivered in the coming weeks, further expanding the unit’s ability to conduct a wide range of missions.
In the near term, the emphasis is on intensive training and practical familiarization with the equipment. Marines assigned to MCADT are enrolled in specialized courses to achieve full system proficiency, test backup configurations, and rehearse realistic engagement scenarios. The goal is to ensure seamless integration of these drones into combat formations, with proven ability to deploy payloads accurately under operational constraints.
Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, FPV drones have emerged as one of the most widely used and effective tools on the battlefield. Initially deployed extensively by Ukrainian forces and later adopted by Russian units, these systems are used to neutralize armored vehicles, infrastructure, and mobile targets using low-cost, often improvised explosive charges. Based on civilian drone platforms modified in-theater and operated with immersive headset controls, FPVs have proven capable of bypassing many traditional defense systems. Their widespread use is also driven by the viral spread of strike footage on social media platforms, creating constant tactical innovation among combatants and accelerating the development of navigation, piloting techniques, and electronic warfare countermeasures.
In response to this shift in the nature of warfare, the United States, particularly the Marine Corps, is now entering a phase of doctrinal development focused on FPV drones. While the U.S. military already possesses a sophisticated arsenal of tactical and strategic unmanned systems, it has so far lagged in the adoption of low-cost, improvised FPV platforms that have emerged outside conventional acquisition processes. The launch of MCADT aims to close this gap by adapting models observed in Ukraine to the operational realities of Marine Corps units. Unlike centralized drone operations managed from the rear, FPVs are envisioned here as organic tools integrated at the small-unit level, offering immediate, flexible, and decentralized strike capabilities. The dual objective is to train a new generation of skilled operators capable of acting quickly and to develop an employment doctrine grounded in recent combat experience while adapted to the expeditionary nature of U.S. Marine operations.
