The US Marines have a new tactic to tackle drones just shoot them down

Date:
Tue, 18 Aug 2026 21:05:00 +0000

Description:
US Marines have begun training on a new drone countermeasures tactic using traditional small arms to take out UAVs rather than relying on GPS or electromagnetic jamming

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter US Marines have been training
to handle drone attacks, using rifles, shotguns, and grenade launchers The simulated threats used small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), consumer drones typically equipped with explosives, or used for recon The exercise aimed to build confidence in US Marines with their standard-issue weapons When troops are in the field and facing drones without electronic countermeasures, there is only one response possible. To ensure confidence and decisiveness in
combat with sUAS attacks (small Unmanned Aerial Systems), US Marines have
been training in the skill of taking out a consumer-sized drone with small arms and light weapons.

A three-day event held in Twentynine Palms, California, featured operatives from the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions training in C-sUAS (counter-small Unmanned Aerial Systems) tactics, with drones from the US Marine Corps Tactical Training and Exercise Control Group, 7th Marine Regiment, and 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. Kinetic weapons used in dealing with the simulated drone threat included automatic rifles, shotguns, and grenade launchers. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Realistic threat See U.S. Marines Shoot Down Drones with Rifles and Shotguns - YouTube Watch On While electronic countermeasures were available to the assembled Marines, the use of small arms and light weapons has drawn attention. The soldiers were targeted by well-trained drone pilots, presenting a real challenge, rather than a duck shoot.

The pilots that we had were really good, said US Marine Corps Capt. Faith Richardson, a platoon commander with TTECG. Those Marines were a huge contributor. We tried giving the training audience a realistic look at the threat, and having proficient, well-trained pilots was really important. You may like Ukrainian drones disabled US armor brigade in simulated warfare 'so quickly' that they had to respawn the equipment US Army is hunting for surface-to-air missiles able to take down small drones The US Army is opening up its training centers for private firms to test out new drones

Weapons used by the Marines included M27 automatic rifles firing 5.56mm rounds, M1014 combat shotguns using 12-gauge shells, and M32A1 and M320 grenade launchers equipped with 40mm antipersonnel rounds. The sUAS craft
were flying at over 90 miles per hour, with attack runs coming as close as 20 meters from the Marines.

Drone threats have increased in prominence over the past decade thanks to the proliferation of off-the-shelf components and consumer drones. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get
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As Richardson adds, Small unmanned aerial systems have been around for a while, its just more prevalent in the battlespace today because its more cost-effective. Combating a prolific threat Aiming to build confidence in combating sUAS attacks, the training took place alongside other exercises, including urban combat, with personnel evaluated on how they detected and defeated sUAS.

Everywhere in the modern world, in all conflicts, the sUAS threat is becoming more prolific on the battlefield," added US Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Kevin Jares is an instructor with Tactical Training and Exercise Control Group. "Were figuring out ways, with the squads organic weapons, to combat that threat and how to survive in todays modern battlefield.

The event seems to have been a success, and the results were deemed good enough for classroom and practical sessions on tactical responses to sUAS and C-sUAS to be included in future Service Level Training Exercises. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/the-us-marines-have-a-new-tactic-to-tackle-drone s-just-shoot-them-down


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