he Marine Corps wants every squad to be equipped with new quadcopter tactical drones ― as it pushes high-tech, realistic video games for training.
The quadcopter plan has been in development for some time, and the equipment has slowly been doled out to Marine units deployed overseas. A nearly 300 Marine unit known as Task Force Southwest deployed to Helmand province, Afghanistan, last year with a small tactical drone called the Instant Eye.
In the fall of 2016, Commandant Gen. Robert B. Neller said at Marine Corps League’s Modern Day Marine expo, “At the end of next year, my goal is every deployed Marine infantry squad has got their own quadcopter.”