US Marines deploy sUAS assets during exercise “Predator’s Run 26” MRF-D Marines demonstrate drone resupply and FPV strikes in Australia Trilateral exercise in Australia tests Marine tactical drones for medical logistics and strike roles.
US Marines with Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 26 integrated organic small unmanned aircraft systems into field operations during exercise “Predator’s Run 26” in Queensland, Australia, held between July 20 and July 27, 2026. Held at the Townsville Field Training Area, the trilateral exercise brought together US forces, the Australian Army’s 1st Brigade, and the Philippine Army’s 1st Brigade Combat Team to test tactical interchangeability and battlefield readiness.
During a July 23 demonstration, logistics personnel attached temperature-controlled simulated blood to a Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System. Operating in tandem with medical personnel from the Australian Army’s 2nd Health Brigade, the MRF-D 26 team flew the cargo over two kilometers to the task force’s primary medical facility. Capt. Hope Islas, commander of Combat Logistics Company Bravo, CLB-5, noted that the TRUAS flight demonstrated how unmanned platforms expand logistical reach across distributed operations while enabling seamless joint execution with Australian forces.
The task force also integrated first-person-view attack drones into a simulated live-fire platoon attack. A specialized team rapidly launched two FPV strike drones, executing successive kinetic hits against static armored personnel carriers. 1st Lt. Phuong Tran, officer in charge of the drone team, emphasized that these portable one-way attack platforms deliver critical long-range precision firepower alongside surveillance capabilities, providing forward units an effective tool to control the battlespace.
