RODRIGUEZ LIVE FIRE COMPLEX, South Korea — Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division (2ID/RUCD) trained alongside U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines Aug. 5, 2026, at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex, integrating live ordnance for the first time with Neros Archer first-person view (FPV) drones during joint training designed to arm the unit with attack drones while bolstering drone dominance across the formation.
The training gave 2ID/RUCD Soldiers hands-on experience preparing, operating, and employing the Neros Archer Strike, an FPV unmanned aircraft system designed to provide platoon-level units with a rapidly deployable precision-strike capability. During the event, Soldiers and Marines prepared payload carriers with C4 explosives and conducted live training flights and targeting.
For Pfc. Gavin Zerrull, a military intelligence systems maintainer and integrator assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 2ID/RUCD, and an FPV coach and operator with Talon Technologies (Talon Tech), the event provided an opportunity to move beyond routine flight training. Talon Tech is the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade's innovation arm of the 2ID/RUCD's Warrior Works Innovation Lab.
"The objective for today's training is simply going to be getting reps on using live ordnance on the Neros Archer Strikes," Zerrull said. "What makes this different from a typical drone training event is the fact that we're working with live ordnance and using a platform that has actively been tested in real-world situations in Ukraine."
The Neros Archer Strike is a high-performance FPV platform designed for long-range missions. The Army has incorporated the system into broader efforts to expand unmanned capabilities at lower tactical echelons.
For 2ID/RUCD, those capabilities have the potential to place additional options directly into the hands of platoons and squads.
"At my level, the modernization with drones is allowing for on the ground troops to, rather than call in company-level or battalion-level assets, within their platoon or squad sized element, be able to support long range fires up to 20 kilometers," Zerrull said.
Talon Tech continues to evaluate unmanned aircraft systems for multiple mission sets, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, cargo delivery and one-way strike capabilities. The effort supports 2ID/RUCD's broader push to identify emerging technologies, test them under realistic conditions and place effective capabilities into the hands of Soldiers.
Training at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex gave Soldiers another opportunity to turn innovation into practical battlefield capabilities while strengthening relationships with joint partners. For the 2ID/RUCD, these repetitions help ensure the division remains adaptive, lethal, and ready to fight tonight on the Korean Peninsula.
Stationed on the Korean Peninsula, the 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division remains the U.S. Army's premier combined division, committed to maintaining readiness, strengthening deterrence and standing ready to Fight Tonight in defense of the Republic of Korea.
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