U.S. Marines Practice Launching Kamikaze Attack Drones In South Korea

Aug 07, 2026 02:44 AM - 2 hours ago 1

In a watershed infinitesimal for world security, the U.S. Marine Corps practiced termination attacks pinch mini drones little than 20 miles from the Demilitarized Zone dividing North Korea from South Korea.

The live-fire exercises, which are unprecedented successful the history of the U.S. military’s activities connected the Korean Peninsula, took spot August 5 astatine Pocheon, South Korea arsenic portion of the Korean Marine Exercise Program, aliases KMEP, which sees U.S. Marines and South Korean Marines train and drill together.

Using One-Way Attack Drones

U.S. Marines behaviour live-fire first-person position onslaught drone training successful Pocheon, South Korea connected Aug. 5, 2026 successful a historical first for subject activities connected the Korean Peninsula. (U.S. Marine Corps photograph by Cpl. Daniel Granados)

U.S. Marines

The workout saw U.S. Marines of the 7th Marine Regiment occurrence FPV, aliases first personification view, drones equipped pinch explosives to destruct armored vehicles. The Marines besides simulated strikes connected force troops.

The Marines utilized the Neros Archer unmanned craft strategy platform, which is besides commonly utilized by the U.S. Army.

The Neros strategy tin deed targets pinch pinpoint accuracy from a scope of betwixt 12 and 15 miles away. U.S. forces recorded video pinch a Skydio drone system, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The move is the latest measurement successful the Pentagon’s push to summation the U.S. military’s combat posture successful the Pacific complete the past year.

Increased Focus connected Korean Air Defense

A U.S. Marine instructs South Korean Marines connected the usage of screen and concealment during associated exercises successful July 2026. Although U.S. and South Korean troops regularly train together, the U.S has been stepping up its efforts to summation associated readiness to respond to imaginable attacks from the North. (U.S. Marine Corps photograph by Cpl. Daniel Granados)

U.S. Marines

Last August, the U.S. Air Force began transferring F-16 Fighting Falcon pitchy fighters from South Korea’s Kunsan Air Base to Osan, immoderate 80 miles person to the separator pinch North Korea, for caller "Super Squadron" training exercises.

At the aforesaid time, the service’s 51st Fighter Wing took measures to merge much intimately pinch South Korean airmen successful believe combat drills.

The Super Squadron test, which concluded this April, marked a much alert and proactive displacement successful the U.S. military’s domiciled successful South Korean aerial defense.

The U.S. publication of drone surveillance and weapons exertion to South Korea has been connected the emergence since past September erstwhile the Air Force resurrected a defunct World War II combatant squadron arsenic an MQ-9 Reaper drone portion permanently based successful the country.

Nuclear Response Drills

U.S. Air Force Airmen and Marines simulate spraying a decontamination solution connected a subordinate arsenic portion of a joint-force chemical, biological, radiological, atomic consequence and decontamination training successful South Korea successful July 2026. (U.S. Air Force photograph by Senior Airman Tabatha Chapman)

U.S. Air Force

In summation to the termination drone onslaught drills this month, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine unit successful South Korea jointly practiced strategies and procedures successful consequence to imaginable chemical, biological, radiological and atomic attacks.

This workout prepared U.S. work members to pass successful hazardous environments and to decontaminate themselves and others from toxins.

Drones exploding successful adjacent proximity to the DMZ are further grounds of progressively energetic U.S. subject activity successful the region amid rising location tensions. Although these drone exercises are the first of their kind, they are improbable to beryllium the past arsenic the U.S. subject seeks to heighten its usage of unmanned exertion and merge much intimately pinch friends successful the Pacific.