For the first time Marines tested out the Neros Archer drone on the Combined Arms Training Center, Camp Fuji maneuver area during a training exercise held October 20, 2026.
“This week is the first time, here at CATC Camp Fuji, that we’ve deployed the Neros Archer in a live kinetic variant,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Stephen Bilbo, Camp Fuji’s Gunner and Range Control Officer. “Neros Archer is the current Marine Corps’ program of record for one-way attack drones flown by a first-person view pilot.”
To become a Neros Archer drone operator, unit leadership hand-picks a Marine to take part in the three-week training course. No prior drone experience is the only pre-requisite. With nothing to compare to, it ensures that the operator can master the skills needed for the Neros Archer drone.
The drones are operated by junior enlisted Marines between the ranks lance corporal to sergeant, equivalent to other military branches’ ranks between E-3 to E-5. With the support of their leadership like, Lt. Col. Clark Smith, Commanding Officer, Battalion Landing Team 1/1, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, junior Marines are empowered on the battlefield.
The exercise conducted on the Camp Fuji maneuver area is different than other training 1st Battalion, 1st Marines previously conducted at their home station in Camp Pendelton.
“This scenario is going to be a little bit different than we’ve done in the past, this is going to be a proof of concept tied to our hunter-killer teams. The goal of this is to be an extension of our hunter-killers’ capabilities with defeating armor and a means of ground line communication within our adversary force,” said Dayton.
A few dozen observers watched the exercise as the Marines flew a drone for two separate flights to simulate two different scenarios. One flight scenario was designed as an anti-armor ambush.
CATC Camp Fuji Explosive Ordnance technicians also attended the drone test.
“The drone carries an explosive payload, if for any reason it’s not able to function as designed with the controller and it goes down [without exploding] it counts as unexploded ordnance or UXO and then that falls under our bread and butter,” said Staff Sgt. Francisco Melandez, CATC Camp Fuji Explosive Ordnance technician.
Both scenarios involved successful detonations of the targets and EOD did not need to locate any UXO.
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Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji
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For the first time Marines tested out the Neros Archer drone on the Combined Arms Training Center, Camp Fuji maneuver area during a training exercise held October 20, 2026.
“This week is the first time, here at CATC Camp Fuji, that we’ve deployed the Neros Archer in a live kinetic variant,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Stephen Bilbo, Camp Fuji’s Gunner and Range Control Officer. “Neros Archer is the current Marine Corps’ program of record for one-way attack drones flown by a first-person view pilot.”
To become a Neros Archer drone operator, unit leadership hand-picks a Marine to take part in the three-week training course. No prior drone experience is the only pre-requisite. With nothing to compare to, it ensures that the operator can master the skills needed for the Neros Archer drone.
The drones are operated by junior enlisted Marines between the ranks lance corporal to sergeant, equivalent to other military branches’ ranks between E-3 to E-5. With the support of their leadership like, Lt. Col. Clark Smith, Commanding Officer, Battalion Landing Team 1/1, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, junior Marines are empowered on the battlefield.
The exercise conducted on the Camp Fuji maneuver area is different than other training 1st Battalion, 1st Marines previously conducted at their home station in Camp Pendelton.
“This scenario is going to be a little bit different than we’ve done in the past, this is going to be a proof of concept tied to our hunter-killer teams. The goal of this is to be an extension of our hunter-killers’ capabilities with defeating armor and a means of ground line communication within our adversary force,” said Dayton.
A few dozen observers watched the exercise as the Marines flew a drone for two separate flights to simulate two different scenarios. One flight scenario was designed as an anti-armor ambush.
CATC Camp Fuji Explosive Ordnance technicians also attended the drone test.
“The drone carries an explosive payload, if for any reason it’s not able to function as designed with the controller and it goes down [without exploding] it counts as unexploded ordnance or UXO and then that falls under our bread and butter,” said Staff Sgt. Francisco Melandez, CATC Camp Fuji Explosive Ordnance technician.
Both scenarios involved successful detonations of the targets and EOD did not need to locate any UXO.
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