DECEMBER 16, 2025 – U.S. Marines and Sailors of 1st Marine Logistics Group participated in a live-fire shotgun range, simulating counter-small unmanned aerial systems tactics during Exercise Steel Knight 25 on Dec. 2, 2025.
As modern conflicts continue to showcase the rapid evolution of aerial threats, sUAS pose a threat to logistics operations in a contested environment. These aerial systems have the ability to disrupt the establishment and sustainment of supply lines, communications, and expose friendly unit positions, as well as carry out kinetic strikes on key forward-deployed assets.
Due to the threats that sUAS pose, 1st MLG continues to refine its approach for counter-sUAS training. Events like the shotgun range are incorporated into Steel Knight 25 to strengthen how Marines operate in a contested logistics environment, reinforce the unit’s ability to support the force in a modern complex battle space, and ensure Marines and Sailors are ready for the next fight.
“C-sUAS is a priority for the modern-day Marine Corps because the enemy has access to this modern-day capability,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Reginald Thomas III, the commanding officer of Headquarters and Service Battalion, 1st MLG. “The drones in the hands of our future adversaries are cheap, light, and maneuverable, so we must make sure that we stay ahead of this particular curve.”
Thomas compared the aerial threat to improvised explosive devices from his experience while he was deployed in the Middle East supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. “We had to contend with improvised explosive devices and different types of ground-level threats,” Thomas said. “Today, our Marines and Sailors need to execute this counter-UAS training in order to oppose drone threats and everything similar that might be coming at us from the air.”
The live-fire range served as a proof-of-concept for a newly developed course designed to evaluate methods and procedures for combating drone systems. Throughout the course, instructors familiarized students with the weapons systems used to counter sUAS, target acquisition, target tracking, and practiced destroying simulated small aerial targets with the use of a clay thrower.
“Learning how to fight this capability is crucial in order to stop smaller unmanned aircraft systems from causing major harm in the battlespace,” said Capt. Mason Wallace, the officer in charge of the Combat Skills Training School, H&S Bn, 1st MLG.
Following the completion of the course, the Marines at CSTS continue to refine and improve the training, developing more effective methods and procedures to counter sUAS and increasing realism in future iterations to better prepare the Marines and Sailors of 1st MLG.
“As a Marine, this course builds my confidence further, because I’ll have a better grasp on understanding how to employ these weapon systems against small aerial threats”, said Sgt. Michael McCrory, a convoy course chief at CSTS, H&S Bn, 1st MLG. He added that training events like this provide a visual representation of how these systems work, deepening Marines’ understanding and confidence when engaging sUAS.
Moving forward, success will depend on the essential skills honed in this range. The integration of these capabilities into their respective units will ensure sustained combat readiness and the ability to adapt effectively to future conflicts.
Whether it is a weapons system, a logistics vehicle, engineering equipment, a forward surgical kit, or a maintenance shelter, Steel Knight reinforces the need to modernize platforms to meet the demands of a contested environment. This exercise allows 1st MLG to optimize its available resources, experiment with new capabilities, and leverage the talent within the unit to enhance lethality and support the force.
Story by 2nd Lt. Louis Sosa
1st Marine Logistics Group