US Marines Test Automated 20-Drone Swarming System
The technology allows operators to manage multiple aerial targets simultaneously without specialized flight skills.
Updated on Oct. 24, 2026 in Robotics
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Boresight recently demonstrated its one-to-many drone swarming system to the US Marine Corps in Honolulu. The system enables a single operator to manage up to 20 aerial target drones simultaneously.
Why it matters
This technology aims to offload routine training tasks from highly skilled FPV drone pilots by automating complex flight paths. It allows military units to emulate evolving drone threats without requiring specialized flight expertise.
The Boresight ecosystem supports the concurrent operation of up to 20 quadrotor and fixed-wing drones. Operators achieve proficiency in the system after a 0.5-hour training session, which covers the creation and validation of automated flight profiles.
The players
Boresight
An Australian defense technology company specializing in drone swarming systems and mission planning software.
US Marine Corps
A branch of the US Armed Forces currently evaluating autonomous swarm systems for training and threat emulation.
The details
The ground control system uses mission planning software that allows users to designate flight routes for multiple aircraft simultaneously. By simplifying the interface, the system removes the need for traditional manual flight stick operation, which usually requires intensive training. Marines utilized this software to define paths, with the onboard flight controllers executing the complex maneuvers required to maintain the swarm formation.
Timeline
October 2026: The Counter-UAS Indo-Pacific Conference was held in Honolulu.
October 2026: The US Marine Corps conducted a two-day demonstration of the Boresight drone swarm system.
The Tech Race
The demonstration underscores an industry-wide transition toward lowering the barrier to entry for managing autonomous aerial fleets. It follows similar efforts to move beyond traditional manual flight training to meet the increasing demand for high-volume threat emulation.
For military training units, this system replaces manual piloting workflows for aerial target drones with an automated interface. The technology is currently in the evaluation stage and is not available for civilian or commercial drone applications.
The takeaway
The system effectively shifts the role of the human operator from pilot to mission supervisor, potentially expanding training frequency. Watch for further evaluations by defense branches to see if the swarm endurance meets standard training requirements.
Further reading
For more on how autonomous flight systems are changing field training, visit Robotics.
Source note: This article includes information reported by APDR.
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