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technology8h ago
Who makes the best drone pilot? Marines say it might be people who grew up on dirt bikes.
- Marines in Camp Pendleton’s 1st Marine Division training find dirt bike, boat, and jet ski backgrounds aid drone handling over gaming
- The three-week course aims to train up to 500 troops per year and scales across infantry roles
- Instructors are adjusting start with smaller drones to ease transitions to the Neros Archer and other systems
- Experts say outdoor mechanics and real-world handling weigh more than gaming when deploying drones with payloads
- The effort accompanies a DoD push to field drones across forces amid Ukraine and other theaters
- Officials note some soldiers still see gamers as capable, but evidence remains anecdotal
- Course leaders monitor toggle sensitivity and plan better simulator-to-real-world weight replication
- Marine drills now include payload specialists and wargame-style missions for grid-coordinated strikes
- The program prioritizes infantry personnel and does not yet have a dedicated small-drone job field
- Leaders emphasize adaptability and curiosity as key traits for UAS operators
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