Marine anti-tank units to receive loitering attack drones for precision strikes
The US Marine Corps will equip its anti-tank missile teams with one-way attack drones that can locate and hit targets far beyond the range of traditional missiles, beginning in January.
Marine anti-tank missilemen are set to receive one-way attack drones, known as loitering munitions, starting in January, according to Lt. Gen. Jay Bargeron, the Corps' director of strategy, plans, and policy. The new system, called Organic Precision Fires-Light, lets small units locate and engage targets at distances previously requiring air or artillery support, reflecting a shift toward dispersed, island-focused operations in the Pacific.
While the missileman title remains, troops will also be labeled "precision strike Marines" as drones reshape ground combat. The Marines have already deployed 80 counter-drone kits and plan 300 more this year, including detection gear and rifle-mounted anti-drone ammunition. To manage the added responsibilities, a three-day counter-drone course is being developed at the Twentynine Palms training center in California. The initiative aims to give low-level units both offensive reach and defensive capability against hostile UAVs.
Why it matters
It gives small Marine units long-range strike ability and addresses the growing drone threat in future Pacific conflicts.
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