French Army converts tank gunners into FPV pilots for first dedicated drone combat squadron

The French Army's 1st Marine Infantry Regiment converted tank gunners into FPV drone pilots, forming its first dedicated drone-combat squadron at Mailly-le-Camp in 2026. The unit, equipped with FPV one-way attack drones and surveillance drones, has disrupted opposing force maneuver and command posts during exercises. The Army aims to scale up to around 15 drone-combat units by summer 2027, having already deployed a unit to Romania and planning a second to Poland.