Army and Marine Corps strengthen their joint air defense capabilities in the Pacific

In August, U.S. Army and Marine Corps units came together with partner forces to practice their integrated air and missile defense capabilities.

The practice was part of Exercise Tenacious Archer 2026 in Airai, Palau, and it was designed to strengthen joint interoperability in the Indo-Pacific area of operations with an eye toward a conflict with China.

The exercise involved several different units, including Army artillery, military police, and sustainment outfits, as well as Marine Corps air wing units.

Tactical air defense, particularly in the era of the ever-present kamikaze drone, is a joint effort, and all troops and units should have the capabilities and knowledge on how to react in such scenarios.

The exercise also marked the retirement of the Avenger surface-to-air missile system from Echo Battery, 5th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment as the formation transitions to newer systems.

“Tenacious Archer 2026 will be the final live-fire exercise for Echo Battery using the Avenger weapon system,” U.S. Army Captain Eric Sandlin, Echo Battery commander, said in a service press release.

The AN/TWQ-1 Avenger is a mobile, short-range surface-to-air missile system mounted on a modified heavy High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (Humvee) tactical vehicle. It packs up to eight FIM-92 Stinger infrared heat-seeking air defense missiles and heavy M2 Browning 0.5-caliber machine guns for close targets, such as low-flying unmanned aerial systems.

“The Avenger has been a capable platform for our formation, and we’re now transitioning to new equipment that will further modernize our air defense capabilities and prepare us for future operational requirements,” Sandlin added.

The ongoing conflict in Iran has shown that kamikaze drones are more likely to target rear units rather than frontline troops. Most of the U.S. casualties suffered in the operations against Iran were from support units. So, all units, particularly those near critical assets, such as radar installations, need to be trained and equipped to deal with kamikaze drone threats.

U.S. Army Sgt. Erwin Rice, assigned to the 303rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, 9th Mission Support Command, bears his unit colors during the Tenacious Archer 2026 opening ceremony in Airai, Palau, July 25, 2026. Tenacious Archer is a U.S. Army Pacific-led multilateral joint exercise that focuses on cooperation, interoperability, and advancing the mutual interest of a free and open Pacific. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Martin Nalls)

“This was a unique experience for my battery,” Sandlin stated. “Training with the Marine Corps, soldiers from other Army branches and our partners strengthened our ability to communicate, coordinate and accomplish the mission together.”

“Live-fire exercises like Tenacious Archer give air defenders valuable hands-on experience by allowing soldiers to fire the Stinger missile and observe its performance in flight,” Army Sergeant 1st Class Joshua Hogan, Echo Battery’s master gunner,” stated about Tenacious Archer 2026. “It’s also an opportunity to train alongside other military branches and partner forces, helping us better understand each other’s capabilities and improve how we operate together.”

The era of the drone

Unmanned aerial systems, colloquially known as drones, have been around for decades.

The U.S. military and Intelligence Community pioneered their development and tactics in the early 1990s. During the Global War on Terror (GWOT), the Air Force, the special operations community, and the intelligence agencies relied increasingly more on unmanned aerial systems for a variety of tasks, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), targeted strikes, and close air support.

The use of drones, however, truly exploded during the war in Ukraine.

Today, Ukrainian and Russian units are using drones at an unprecedented volume. In a day of heavy fighting, both sides might use over 1,000 kamikaze and support drones. The two combatants, moreover, have further developed drone doctrine – with the aid of improved technology – and use unmanned aerial systems for resupply, strategic strikes, and even medical evacuation.

Drones are here to stay. And the better a military is prepared to counter them on the battlefield, the more prepared it will be for the next conflict.

Feature Image: Army Pfc. Darrius Patton, an air defender assigned to the 6th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, receives ammunition to load into the AN/TWQ-1 Avenger air defense system during Exercise Tenacious Archer 2026 in Airai, Palau, July 31, 2026. (Photo by Sgt. Martin Nalls/IU.S. Army)

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