U.S. Marines Attach Anti-Tank Weapons to Drones for "Drop"

First-Ever Live-Fire Training of Attack Drones on the Korean Peninsula

On the 5th, at the Rodriguez training ground in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, U.S. Marine Corps personnel are examining Neros Archer drones during a live-fire flight training of first-person view (FPV) attack drones. Photo by National Defense Daily

On August 5, when the highest temperature in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province exceeded 37 degrees Celsius, a low voice could be heard through the radio at the Rodriguez shooting range in Yeongpyeong-ri, Yeongjung-myeon, saying “Splash.” A red flash was seen about 2.5 kilometers away from the command post at the target location, and three seconds later, an explosion sounded. This was the scene at the first-ever live-fire first-person view (FPV) attack drone exercise conducted by the US Marine Corps on the Korean Peninsula on August 5.

On this day, US Marine Corps personnel from the 3rd Division, 7th Regiment, who were participating in the Korea Marine Exercise Program (KMEP), took part in a live-fire exercise with the quadcopter-type loitering munition drone, the Neros Archer. The first live fire took place at around 4:33 p.m., and all six drones hit targets located approximately 0.9 kilometers away. The exercise used a “hit-to-kill” method, in which the drones directly struck the targets; precise guidance to the target was possible through the drone’s onboard camera until impact. The flight could also be monitored in real time from the drone’s perspective via a terminal device.

US Marine Corps Nerose Archer Drone. Photo by Defense Daily

The Neros Archer drone, known to cost around 7 million won per unit, has a maximum range of 25 kilometers, a top speed of 130 kilometers per hour, and a payload of about 3 kilograms. With four propellers, the drone’s length and width are both about 30 to 40 centimeters—roughly the size of a backpack. It can be equipped with anti-tank, anti-material, or anti-personnel weapons. The anti-tank warhead is said to have the penetrating power to pierce 100 millimeters of typical tank armor. The US Marine Corps is reportedly utilizing this drone as a weapons system capable of long-range reconnaissance and precision strikes from beyond 20 kilometers, thus exceeding the range of small arms and platoon-level weapon systems. For comparison, the maximum range of the 60mm and 81mm mortars operated by both the US Marines and the Republic of Korea Army's small units is only about 3 to 5 kilometers, and their accuracy is lower than that of the FPV drone.

At the first-person view (FPV) attack drone live-fire training held on the 5th at Rodriguez Training Ground in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, U.S. Marine Corps soldiers controlled Neros Archer drones equipped with explosives to hit targets. Photo by The Defense Daily

Colonel Peter Ankney, Deputy Commander of US Marine Forces Korea, met with reporters on the same day and stated, "The core of everything is (Korea-US) combined readiness," adding, "It is a great opportunity for the US Marine Corps to demonstrate these capabilities directly on the terrain of the Korean Peninsula, where we may be deployed in the future." The exercise was conducted with the 3rd Division, 7th Regiment, who do not normally station in Korea, deploying temporarily for the purpose of the drill. The meaning behind the exercise is to improve operational capabilities for potential deployment of the US Marine Corps on the Korean Peninsula in an emergency.

Due to an unprecedented heatwave, a “severe heatwave warning” was issued for most regions nationwide on August 5, including Pocheon. Although the live-fire exercise, originally scheduled for 3 p.m., was delayed by about an hour and a half in compliance with safety procedures, it proceeded as planned despite the brutal heat. A US Marine Corps official commented, "The weather on the battlefield is never under our control," adding, "It is a valuable experience to directly encounter not only Korea’s unique terrain, but also the high heat and humidity of a Korean summer and the severe cold of winter."

The Neros Archer is currently used by both the US Army and Marine Corps and has obtained the US Department of Defense's 'Blue UAS' certification, meaning it contains almost no Chinese-made parts.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.