The US Marine Corps is set to enhance its operational capabilities with a significant procurement of up to 10,000 reconfigurable and cost-effective small drones over the next year. This ambitious initiative aims to bolster reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition missions critical to modern warfare.
The first batches of these drones are expected to be delivered by April. Producers have committed to an aggressive manufacturing timeline, with the ability to supply up to 5,000 air vehicles within six months and ultimately reaching the total of 10,000 units within a year.
Each drone system will consist of various components, including an air vehicle, a ground control station or controller, communications equipment, goggles, batteries, and a charging station. Notably, the cost per air vehicle is projected to be less than $4,000, making the initiative not only extensive but also economically viable.
A distinctive feature of this drone system will be its modular design. This design allows for quick adaptations to the ever-changing conditions of the battlefield, enabling users to reconfigure the drones for multiple tasks without relying on the vendor’s involvement. In addition to reconnaissance and surveillance, the drones will have secondary capabilities in communications relay and even more advanced functions, such as delivering lethal payloads and offering electronic support.
Enhancing the operational effectiveness of these drones will be their integration with first-person-view capabilities and the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK). This will allow operators to control the drone in real-time, view live video feeds, and disseminate crucial data across the network, thus improving overall situational awareness on the ground.
To support this evolution in drone capabilities, the Marine Corps is also implementing a new training framework aimed at rapidly increasing the number of personnel proficient in operating small unmanned aerial systems. This framework will establish six pilot courses and eight certification tracks, covering roles such as basic drone operators, attack drone operators, payload specialists, and instructors.
In parallel, the Pentagon is advancing its own initiatives with the recently launched $1 billion Drone Dominance program. This program aims to significantly boost domestic drone manufacturing and plans to acquire approximately 300,000 systems over the next two years. With a focus on reforming its historically slow acquisition process, the Pentagon’s strategy involves creating predictable, high-volume demand to facilitate large-scale industrial production of drones, marking a transformative shift in military logistics and capabilities.
