Business & Finance

U.S. Marine Corps to deploy attack drones to anti-tank units starting in January

The Organic Precision Fires-Light loitering munition system aims to give small infantry units independent long-range strike capabilities.

Updated Sep 2, 2026 · 12:18 UTC1 reports

The short version

Starting in January, the U.S. Marine Corps plans to equip anti-tank missilemen with Organic Precision Fires-Light one-way attack drones.
The loitering munitions will allow small units to strike targets independently without calling in external air support or artillery.
The service is also rolling out counter-drone gear and squad-level training to address emerging defensive vulnerabilities.

The Marine Corps will begin fielding the Organic Precision Fires-Light loitering munition system to anti-tank units in January.[Business Insider]
The loitering munitions allow infantry units to locate and engage targets beyond the reach of standard anti-tank missiles without relying on external aircraft or artillery support.[Business Insider]
The Marine Corps has fielded 80 sets of an organic counter-drone system, with an additional 300 sets planned this year, including detection systems, electronic warfare gear, and specialized rifle ammunition.[Business Insider]
A three-day counter-drone training curriculum is being developed for rifle squads at Twentynine Palms, California.[Business Insider]

The broader effectiveness of small-unit counter-drone defenses remains unresolved, as military leaders note the military is still working to establish reliable methods to defeat one-way attack drones at scale.[Business Insider]