How Marine Squads Are Preparing for Drone Wars

Ground combat is being rewritten

The U.S. Marine Corps has released Ground Combat Element 2040, a vision for how its forces may fight increasingly complex land battles in the years ahead. The core message is clear: future combat will not be defined by firepower alone, but by how quickly small units can adapt to a battlefield shaped by drones and constant observation.

Why small squads matter most

The biggest shift will likely be felt at the lowest levels of infantry organization. In an environment where enemy drones can scout, track, and enable attacks with little warning, familiar movement patterns become far more dangerous. Small Marine squads will need to disperse faster, hide better, and remain effective while under persistent aerial threat.

A more networked approach

The 2040 concept points toward a force that operates less as isolated rifle squads and more as part of a connected system. Sensors, communications, and fires are expected to work together more tightly, giving units better awareness and faster decision-making.

That broader shift implies several priorities:

• improved situational awareness;
• quicker sharing of information;
• closer integration with unmanned systems;
• tactics designed around aerial threats.

In that environment, drones are more than flying cameras. They can support reconnaissance, help cue strikes, or become part of an attack chain. Infantry units will therefore need to do more than fight well — they will need to survive in a battlespace where danger can arrive from above at almost any moment.

Training for a different battlefield

The Marines’ future rifle squads will likely need more technical fluency than traditional infantry training has required. Alongside marksmanship and fieldcraft, soldiers may need to understand sensors, navigation, electronic warfare, and counter-drone methods. Just as important is the ability to operate when communications are degraded and decisions must be made locally, under pressure.

The bigger picture

Ground Combat Element 2040 suggests a future in which Marine infantry combines classic maneuver warfare with drone-era awareness, distributed operations, and faster adaptation. For small units, the lesson is straightforward: success will belong not just to the strongest force, but to the one that can see first, move first, and adjust fastest.