DECEMBER 31, 2025 – The Marine Corps has launched a training program to rapidly increase the number of small Unmanned Aircraft System operators for commercial off-the-shelf attack drones.
Announced in MARADMIN 624/25, the program addresses a critical need for standardized training as the service integrates new systems, including the Neros Archer first-person view attack drone, and prepares for this significant investment in various drone technologies. This initiative builds on the service’s success over the past few months in beginning to scale FPV attack drones across the Fleet Marine Force. It also aligns directly to the Office of the Secretary of War’s plans to field initially tens of thousands and then hundreds of thousands of attack drones, across service components starting in March 2026 and continuing over the next several years.
The new framework, established by Training and Education Command, establishes six pilot courses and eight certifications to create a force-wide standard for drone operators. These initiatives are designed to provide foundational skills for a variety of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
“We are fielding these courses as pilot programs to move quickly while maintaining our commitment to quality training and safety,” said Lt. Gen. Benjamin T. Watson, Commanding General, Training and Education Command. “This allows us to validate all aspects of the training, from prerequisites and instructional methods to resourcing needs and certification standards, ensuring that we refine and perfect the curriculum before it becomes part of our long-term training framework.”
Six approved pilot courses will certify Marines while testing instructional methods and curriculum. These courses include training for drone operators, payload specialists, and instructors, with specific prerequisites such as simulator experience on TECOM-approved systems. The courses aim to ensure proper integration and supervision of new drone capabilities. TECOM has also established a process to grant certifications to Marines who have existing qualifications and experience through a “grandfathering” exception to policy.
Seven organizations have been designated as regional training hubs with the authority to immediately begin conducting the pilot courses, including schools within Training and Education Command, 1st Marine Division and 2d Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, and Marine Forces Special Operations Command.
Weapons Training Battalion on Marine Corps Base Quantico will serve as the interim central hub, responsible for standardizing training, certification, and safety across the force. It will consolidate lessons learned and function as the Marine Corps’ focal point for adapting training to emerging platforms, payloads, and evolving operational requirements.
This service-wide effort to scale standardized FPV attack drone training has been shaped by lessons from recent certifications, including two Marine Corps Attack Drone Competitions, one in the National Capitol Region and the other in Okinawa, Japan. These efforts certified 19 Attack Drone-Operators, 5 Attack Drone-Instructors, 7 Payload Specialists, and 2 Payload Specialist-Instructors. In mid-November, the MCADT also supported the certification of 22D Marine Expeditionary Unit Marines, resulting in 14 Attack Drone-Operators and 11 Payload Specialists fully trained, equipped, and ready for contingency operations.
Over the next few months, the MCADT, alongside Weapons Training Battalion and regional hubs, will certify hundreds more Marines. By May 2026, all infantry, reconnaissance battalions, and littoral combat teams across the Corps will be equipped to employ FPV attack drone capabilities.
Story by Staff Sgt. Claudia Nix
U.S. Marine Corps Training and Education Command