Overview
- The service launched six pilot courses—Basic Drone Operator, Attack Drone Operator, Attack Drone Leader, Payload Specialist, Attack Drone Instructor, and Payload Specialist Instructor—along with eight new certifications.
- Marines from any specialty can apply through their commands, and prior training may translate into corresponding certifications under the new framework.
- Training will be conducted at regional hubs at Camp Pendleton, Camp Lejeune and Okinawa, with Weapons Training Battalion at Quantico serving as the interim central site.
- Initial fielding begins in March 2026, with first-person-view systems slated for infantry, reconnaissance and littoral combat teams as early as May, and full capability targeted for 2028.
- The initiative aligns with a Defense Department effort worth roughly $1 billion to field mass autonomous and one-way attack drones by 2028, building on Neros Archer deliveries and the Corps’ drone attack team.