Marine Corps Archives

A U.S. Marine Corps XQ-58A Valkyrie, highly autonomous, low-cost tactical unmanned air vehicle, conducts its second test flight with two U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft assigned to 33rd Fighter Wing, 96th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Feb. 23, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. John McRell)

Marine Corps charts path for future aviation ops led by drones

The Marine Corps is targeting 2029 to begin operational testing of its MUX TACAIR drone, while simultaneously exploring how exquisite unmanned systems can be used for other…

42 minutes ago By Mikayla Easley

A VBAT unmanned aerial system takes off from the flight deck of San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland (LPD 27) during counter-small UAS training in the Pacific Ocean, April 4, 2026. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Luke Rodriguez)

Military leaders want a more integrated, joint approach to drone dominance

The military’s adoption of drones and counter-drone tech has been historically fragmented, with each service pursuing its own strategies.

20 hours ago By Brandi Vincent

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Richard Tofte, a rifleman with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, observes impacts during a live fire platoon attack on range 410 Alpha as part of Service Level Training Exercise 2-26 on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, April 9, 2026. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Dominic Trujillo)

Marine division to get first-of-its-kind counter-drone training as officials signal ‘significant concern’ over defeating UAS

While details about what the lanes will look like and which counter-UAS systems Marines will employ are scant, the announcement of upcoming training comes as the service…

3 days ago By Drew F. Lawrence

U.S. Marine Corps flight equipment technicians with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 225, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South, install a Flexible Linear Shaped Charge on a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II canopy assigned to VMFA-225 at Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, Dec. 9, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps photo)

Marine Corps prototyping AI tools for aviation supply, predictive maintenance

“Let’s change it before it needs to be in the air, declare an emergency, land in some place we don’t want it to land, etc.,” Lt. Gen.…

Apr 20, 2026 By Drew F. Lawrence

Marine Corps Maj. Christopher Clark speaks at AITalks, April 14, 2026. (Photo by Sergey Kolupaev/EPNAC)

Marine Corps’ inaugural agentic and genAI workshop spotlighted need for training, more trust

Officials are reviewing all the feedback gained from the Marine Corps’ AI summit, held in Quantico last month.

Apr 14, 2026 By Brandi Vincent

Screenshot from a video of U.S. Marines with Expeditionary Operations Training Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force testing Marine-Build drones off the coast of Naval Base White Beach, Okinawa, Japan, March 22, 2026. The training was part of the EOTG Unmanned Systems Branch, which seeks to teach Marines in basic drone operations, capabilities, and assembly. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Giovanni Navarrette)

A first, Marines launch FPV drone at unmanned vessel while aboard naval craft

Marines with III Expeditionary Operations Training Group out of Okinawa, Japan, designed the unmanned surface vessel themselves, officials said, then blew it up with a drone.

Apr 8, 2026 By Drew F. Lawrence

The Textron Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle 30 mm Cannon (ARV-30) prototype conducts open water testing at Camp Pendleton, CA earlier this year. (U.S. Marine Corps photo)

Marine Corps fuels high-stakes competition for its Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle with new deals

The announcement marked a notch in the Corps’ effort to replace the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) with a new platform.

Apr 6, 2026 By Drew F. Lawrence

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Samuel Roth, Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) technician, EOD Company, 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, surfaces from an underwater dive at U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak in Kodiak, Alaska, Feb. 27, 2026, as part of ARCTIC EDGE 2026 (AE26). (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Thirteen Bahizi)

Marine EOD techs team with robots in frigid Alaskan waters

"Anytime I can get an unmanned system, even though it may be expensive, it doesn't come with a name and a family tied to it,” one tech…

Mar 23, 2026 By Drew F. Lawrence

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Carlos Perez-armenta, a logistics specialist with 1st Distribution Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, operates an Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel during testing on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Jan. 22, 2026. The ALPV is an autonomous logistics delivery system the Marine Corps is experimenting with to deliver supplies and equipment in a timely manner throughout the littorals. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Mary Torres)

U.S. military seeks more ALPV capability to resupply troops in contested littoral environments

Marines have been experimenting with autonomous low-profile vessels. This week, the Defense Innovation Unit issued a solicitation to industry.

Mar 4, 2026 By Drew F. Lawrence

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Lilly Sharma, a small unmanned aircraft system operator, with 12th Littoral Combat Team, 12th Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, operates a Skydio X2D during a small unmanned aerial systems training (sUAS) on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Nov. 6, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Robert Blanks)

As the Pentagon goes full-tilt on small UAS, some services are trying to build a new generation of drone-savvy troops from the rip

While the military boosts already-established UAS roles and inter-service job transfers, multiple services have begun to put drones into the hands or on the minds of its…

Feb 24, 2026 By Drew F. Lawrence