US Marine Corps trains troops 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 teach Marines how to counter small combat drones using standard infantry weapons. The training began with a three-day event at Twentynine Palms, California, where Marines from the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions practiced 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 exercise included simulated enemy drones at distances as close as 20 meters, reaching speeds over 90 mph. The training also involved house clearing and patrol exercises focused on denying, detecting, and defeating drones. This initiative follows the Pentagon's Drone Dominance program, influenced by the war in Ukraine where drones have caused 90% of Russian casualties. The Marine Corps has also established the Marine Corps Robotics Integration Group (MCRIG) to standardize drone training and has begun stockpiling specialized anti-drone ammunition that fragments in flight.