The US Marine Corps is prioritizing the introduction of low-cost FPV drone technology a year after purchasing attack copters for nearly $100,000.

The official USMC website reports on the features of the new unit and its tasks.

Given the rapid proliferation of FPV drone technology and the development of tactics for its use “observed during modern conflicts, especially in Eastern Europe,” the Corps Command prioritized introducing FPV strike drones to strengthen its capabilities.

Thus, on January 3, the Marine Corps Attack Drone Team, or MCADT for short, was formed to integrate new solutions into small-group warfare tactics.

“MCADT is committed to rapidly integrating FPV attack drones, increasing the lethality of small units, and providing capabilities that warfighters currently lack,” Major Alejandro Tavizon, MCADT’s lead officer, reported. “By leveraging the latest technology and refining drone tactics, we are ensuring that Marines remain flexible, adaptable, and deadly on the modern battlefield.”

The MCADT unit will be based at the Quantico training base, where it will work with the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory.

There, it will serve as the Marine Corps’ expert on FPV drones and represent the Corps in interservice, national, and international competitions, integrating new combat experience and adapting Army tactics to the new realities of warfare.

Their first competition on July 3 will be the U.S. National Drone Association Military Championship. Competing against units such as the 75th Ranger Regiment, the MCADT will fly tactical missions using FPV and small unmanned aerial vehicles in realistic scenarios designed to simulate modern combat.

The competition will feature elements of various tactics and tasks in which operators will realize the potential of drones and FPVs. The event will explore the experience of using drones with different types of control, including direct control via radio frequency and wired fiber optic channels, as well as autonomous control by artificial intelligence.

The introduction of cheap and mass-produced FPV drones as a small tactical group strike weapon is a significant event, as only a year ago, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry began ordering similar Rogue 1 drones at a cost of about $100,000 per unit.

The 4.5-kilogram copter-type kamikaze drone has a flight radius of about 10 kilometers and can stay in the air for 30 minutes.

Developed by Teledyne FLIR Defense, the system was intended to be an easy-to-use means of delivering “precision strikes against static and moving targets such as infantry, unarmored or armored vehicles” that could be carried by a soldier along with other equipment.