US Marines train to shoot down small drones with standard infantry weapons

Published Aug 13, 03:09 PM UTC

The Marine Corps has introduced new service-level training to counter small combat drones using standard infantry weapons. A three-day event at Twentynine Palms, California, involved Marines from the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions practicing shooting down small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) with M27 rifles, M1014 shotguns, and M32A1/M320 grenade launchers, as well as electronic anti-drone weapons. The training, led by the Tactical Training and Exercise Control Group, included live-fire exercises from 20 meters and patrol drills. This initiative follows the Pentagon's December 2025 Drone Dominance program, influenced by the war in Ukraine where drones have caused heavy Russian casualties. The Marine Corps has also established the Marine Corps Robotics Integration Group to standardize training, begun stockpiling fragmenting anti-drone ammunition, and contracted for AI-enabled Bullfrog M240 machine guns to intercept larger drones. The service plans to continue this training and have graduates share skills with their home units.