U.S. Marine Corps Conducts First Suicide Drone Live-Fire Exercise in South Korea... "Learning the Peninsula's Terrain"

The U.S. Marine Corps has conducted its first-ever live-fire exercise utilizing suicide drones in South Korea.

As part of the Korea Marine Exchange Program (KMEP), a joint exercise between the South Korean and U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. military opened its suicide drone live-fire training to the domestic press on the 5th of this month at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Yeongpyeong-ri, Yeongjung-myeon, Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province.

The Rodriguez range is a frontline training facility located approximately 30 kilometers south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL).

This marks the first time the U.S. Marine Corps has conducted a live-fire drill with first-person view (FPV) attack drones on the Korean Peninsula, and it is also the first time the U.S. military has publicly disclosed drone live-fire training in South Korea.

Six U.S. Marine suicide drones deployed for the exercise rapidly flew to a target about 900 meters away and successfully struck their marks.

The drone used was the Archer, a small quadcopter drone produced by the U.S. drone startup Neros.

Operating on a "hit-to-kill" method where it directly impacts the target to detonate, the drone has a maximum range of 25 kilometers, a top speed of 130 kilometers per hour, and a payload capacity of around 3 kilograms.

Despite featuring four propellers, it is compact with a length and width of about 30 to 40 centimeters, and it can carry anti-tank, anti-materiel, and anti-personnel weapons.

Known to cost around 7 million won per unit, these drones have reportedly been deployed in numbers reaching approximately 6,000 units in Ukraine.

Col. Peter Ankney, Deputy Commander of U.S. Marine Forces Korea, met with reporters that day and stated, "The core of everything is combined readiness," adding, "The very fact that the U.S. Marine Corps can showcase these capabilities while operating directly on the terrain of the Korean Peninsula, where we could potentially be deployed in the future, is a tremendous opportunity."

The training took place amid scorching weather, with "Extreme Heat Warning" alerts issued for most parts of the country.

A U.S. Marine Corps official remarked, "Battlefield weather does not bend to our will," noting that "experiencing firsthand not only South Korea's unique terrain but also the high temperature and humidity of the Korean summer and the freezing cold of winter is a valuable opportunity."

The exercise was carried out by the 7th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, which does not normally stationed on the Korean Peninsula, having deployed directly to the peninsula for the drills.

The U.S. Marine Corps stated that building on this exercise, it plans to pursue future combined South Korea-U.S. joint FPV attack drone training.

(Photo: Provided by Defense Media Agency, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.