US marines hold first live-fire FPV drone drills in South Korea

US Marines have conducted their first publicly disclosed live-fire exercise using first-person view (FPV) drones on the Korean Peninsula, carrying out precision strikes during joint training in South Korea, Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday.

The drills took place at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Pocheon, about 30 kilometers south of the Demilitarized Zone, separating the two Koreas.

The Marines launched six FPV drone strikes, all successfully hitting mock barracks located about 900 meters away.

FPV drones, widely used in the Russia-Ukraine war, are remotely operated using goggles and are designed to destroy targets by crashing into them.

The drones can be equipped with anti-armor, anti-materiel or anti-personnel payloads depending on the mission.

According to the US Marines, the drills demonstrated how the technology enables small units to conduct precision strikes from safer distances, extending their tactical reach beyond that of conventional infantry weapons.

The exercise was conducted in coordination with South Korea's Army and formed part of bilateral efforts to strengthen combined military readiness between the allies.