Some of the training is being done in the back country of Camp Pendleton, which is known for innovation in unmanned systems and electronic warfare
At a live fire range on Camp Pendleton, Sgt. Jason Hamm launches an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance drone toward a target located about a mile from his location. A swift, black object made a sharp turn in the skies above Camp Pendleton Friday, then dove into a target on a barren hill, sparking a reddish-orange explosion that echoed for miles.
It was sign that the Marine Corps is adding a lethal weapon to its repertoire — an adaptation drawn in part, from watching Ukraine effectively using tiny kamikaze-style drones to fight Russia. The Marines say they’re hustling to train ground combat teams to use small, disposable, rapidly deployable drones to complement the larger tactical drones now in use. The military plans call for providing Marines with about 10,000 of the small drones this year. Some of the initial training is being done in the back country of Camp Pendleton, which is known for innovation in unmanned systems and electronic warfare. At a live fire range on Camp Pendleton, Marines successfully reach their target about 1 mile away and detonate the drone’s ordnance. The base’s 1st Marine Division is learning to use Neros Archer drones that are smaller than a bread box and weigh only 2 pounds. The drones can easily carry about 3 pounds of ordnance, notably C4 explosives, at speeds upward of 100 mph. The drones’ operating system is similar to that of many commercial video games, which is a plus. Most of the Marines who’ll be using these aircraft are young and they grew up playing such video games. At Camp Pendleton, a pilot on the ground peers through specialized goggles that provide live video of what the drone is seeing. This enables the pilot to maneuver the aircraft. The pilot is aided by a navigator and by a third person who holds an antenna mast. Marines can direct the bomb-laden drone to crash directly into targets, which is reminiscent of how Japanese pilots flew their own planes into American warships during World War II. These were known as kamikaze attacks.Such attacks are meant to occur quickly and only when Marines have a good idea of where their targets are located. At a live fire range on Camp Pendleton, Marines operate the drone to reach a target located approximately a mile from their position. During a test flight on Friday, Lance Cpl. Nicholas Miller guided a drone through the sky on a path that ended with strike on a target that resembled a tank. Total elapsed time: About 2 minutes. “The target is now in a million pieces,” said 1st Lt. Nicholas Forthman, an instructor standing nearby. Miller said, “I wasn’t nervous . But it does feel strange. You’re laying down, level on the ground, watching something fly up and down.”“You have to have the fine motor skills that are associated with operating a drone that’s fully acrobatic,” said Lt. Col. James Nilan, who is overseeing the training program. “You’re responsible for pitch and yaw and roll, and the speed of the drone. Luckily, there’s some great simulator software where Marines are operating on a controller and they can spend time working on.”At a live fire range on Camp Pendleton, Marines supporting the drone operation watch the monitor to assist the drone pilot in reaching a target located about a mile from their location. “The young Marines out here pick up the skill sets quickly and intuitively,” said Lt. Col. Mark Savelle, commanding officer of 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.The push by the Marines to add such firepower has been greatly influenced by the Ukraine military, which has developed nimble, low-cost drones to destroy Russian tanks and launch distant maritime attacks that many people thought were out of reach. These type of drones are “one of the components we need, certainly,” said Lt Col. James Nilan, who is playing a key role in the training. “We see a very, very cost effective way for Marines to use a system that’s incredibly lethal. Anything we can do to advance the warfighting ability of our Marines and sailors is a 100% win.”La Jolla couple facing criminal charges, SEC suit over alleged $100 million pump-and-dump schemeShuttered Las Cuatro Milpas makes plans to reopen in new locationGlobal Entry and SENTRI interviews now offered to eligible travelers entering the U.S. via CBXAfter second trial, jury convicts San Diego County deputy who seriously injured restrained inmate
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