Video: U.S. Marines Take a Crash Course in Drone Warfare

"So this is a first-person-view attack drone, essentially a modified quadcopter. And these Marines have just had three weeks of training to get ready to get this thing into combat. F.P.V.s are designed to follow a moving target and bomb it with a push of a button. This seemingly simple tech has transformed, and even defined, modern warfare. The threats we face today from hostile drones grow by the day."

"Last summer, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered combat units across the military to rapidly train on and deploy small, lethal drones like the ones seen in Ukraine and the Middle East. Now the Marine Corps is racing to train and certify hundreds of pilots and get F.P.V. drones into every unit. It'll be the first time Marines will have attack drone capabilities."

"The New York Times visited the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit at Camp Lejeune as they underwent intensive training on first-person-view attack drones. These small, low-cost weapons systems have reshaped modern warfare in Ukraine and across the Middle East, and now the Pentagon is racing to catch up. Bomb on target. One by APRS. Four-meter HOB. Thirty-second SST. Roger sending."

"This is the generation of the video games, a controller in your hand and a headse. Corporal Noah Player is part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. He and his fellow Marines could be deployed any day now, and they'll be expected to use drones like this in combat. The first time I've ever touched or operated an F.P.V. drone was through this course. Prior to that, I had no experience whatsoever with it."

Marines at Camp Lejeune undergo intensive training on first-person-view attack drones, small low-cost quadcopter systems modified for combat. The drones are designed to follow moving targets and deliver a bomb with a push of a button, using live video to guide the operator. The training prepares pilots to deploy quickly and use the systems in combat, with expectations that units will receive drone capabilities. Combat units across the military are being ordered to rapidly train and deploy similar small lethal drones seen in Ukraine and the Middle East. The Marine Corps is working to train and certify hundreds of pilots and equip every unit with F.P.V. drones, marking a new attack-drone capability for Marines.

Read at www.nytimes.com