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U.S. Marines with I Marine Expeditionary Force evaluated fiber-optic first-person view drones from Jan. 27-29, 2026, in partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit. This marked the first field evaluation of these drones for small unmanned aircraft systems in contested environments, focusing on maintaining command and control despite degraded radio-frequency links. The assessment involved Marines from multiple reconnaissance battalions and aimed to inform future technological improvements under Project G.I.