MARADMIN 438/26
FISCAL YEAR 2027 COMPETITION-IN-ARMS PROGRAM
R 221700Z SEP 26 MARADMIN 438/26 MSGID/GENADMIN/CG TECOM QUANTICO VA// SUBJ/FISCAL YEAR 2027 COMPETITION-IN-ARMS PROGRAM// REF/A/ MCO 3591.2L /9 Dec 2024// REF/B/MCO 3574.2M /6 Apr 2022// REF/C/DOC/CD&I/20181119 REF/D/DOC/NHRC REF/E/ MARADMIN 235/25 NARR/REF A IS MCO 3591.2L, MARINE CORPS COMPETITION IN ARMS PROGRAM. REF B IS MCO 3574.2M, MARINE CORPS COMBAT MARKSMANSHIP PROGRAMS. REF C IS THE MARINE CORPS RIFLE MARKSMANSHIP LETHALITY CAPABILITIES -BASED ASSESSMENT. REF D IS THE NAVAL HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER 2025 USMC LETHALITY REPORT. REF E IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MARINE CORPS ATTACK DRONE TEAM MARADMIN. POC/RAMIREZ, M.A./MAJ/OPERATIONS OFFICER/COMM: 703-784-4612/EMAIL: [email protected] POC/HANSON, N.R./MSGT/OPERATIONS CHIEF/COMM: 703-784-6762/EMAIL: [email protected]// POC/AMBRIDGE, S.T./CAPT/OIC MARINE CORPS SHOOTING TEAM /TEL: DSN 703-432-6952/COMM: 571-656-4723//EMAIL: [email protected] POC/PRICKETT, C.L./MSGT/SNCOIC MARINE CORPS SHOOTING TEAM TEAM/TEL: DSN 278-6761/COMM: 703-784-6761//EMAIL: [email protected] POC/WAYSON, B.B./MAJ/OIC MARINE CORPS ATTACK DRONE TEAM/TEL: 703-784-5226/EMAIL: [email protected] POC/STEWART, J.O./GYSGT/SNCOIC MARINE CORPS ATTACK DRONE TEAM /TEL: 703-784-5226//EMAIL: [email protected] POC/GRAYEK, J.C./GUNNER (CWO4)/DIRECTOR, MARKSMANSHIP PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SECTION AND OIC MARINE CORPS COUNTER-DRONE TEAM /TEL: 703 784-5275//EMAIL: [email protected]// GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. Purpose. To announce the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Competition-In-Arms Program (CIAP) regional Marine Corps Marksmanship Competitions (MCMC), Marine Corps Attack Drone Competitions (MCADC), and Marine Corps Championships in accordance with the references. 2. Situation. For the past 116 years, the primary objective of the CIAP has been to stimulate interest and desire for self-improvement in marksmanship and to enhance proficiency within the Marine Corps in the use of individual small arms by refining precision and combat marksmanship skills through advanced marksmanship training and competition. MCMCs provide an opportunity to refine the skills that make a Marine lethal on the battlefield in accordance with the Marine Corps Rifle Marksmanship Lethality Capabilities-Based Assessment, reference (c), and the 2025 Marine Corps Lethality Report, reference (d). While Marines today are more lethal than they have ever been, Marines always look for ways to become even more lethal, especially based on lessons learned from ongoing conflicts. One of the foremost lessons from modern combat is the near-term potential to exponentially increase the lethality of the individual Marine, for relatively low cost, with first-person view (FPV) attack drones. For this reason, the Service created the Marine Corps Attack Drone Team (MCADT) (reference (e)) and, beginning in FY26, the CIAP also included MCADC. These MCADCs proved instrumental in helping the Corps scale 3,500 FPV attack drones in a standardized manner across the Fleet Marine Force (FMF) between October 2025 and May 2026. The FY27 CIAP will also include MCADCs in order to reinforce these successes. These MCADCs will be held in conjunction with the MCMCs, with the exception of the MCMC scheduled from 15-25 November 2026. The MCADT will provide competitors with intermediate and advanced armed FPV drone skills and then evaluate those skills during the competition. Additionally, the newly created Marine Corps Counter Drone Team (MCCDT) will augment both competitions with emergent counter-drone capabilities. 3. Mission. During FY27, Weapons Training Battalion (WTBn) Quantico and other hosting units will conduct marksmanship and attack drone competitions at designated locations with small-arms, FPV attack drones, and emerging counter-drone capabilities in order to increase combat effectiveness and lethality for the Marine Corps Total Force. 4. Execution 4.a. Commander’s Intent 4.a.1. Purpose. To increase combat effectiveness and lethality for the Marine Corps Total Force. 4.a.2. Method. The Marine Corps Shooting Team (MCST), MCADT, and MCCDT will teach precision and combat marksmanship skills, including offensive armed FPV drone and counter-drone tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP), and evaluate Marines’ performance via competition. 4.a.3. Endstate. The MCST, MCADT, and MCCDT disseminate insights and lessons learned across the Total Force to maximize our Marines’ lethality and warfighting advantage. 4.b. Concept of Operations 4.b.1. The MCST, MCADT, and MCCDT coordinate and facilitate five regional competitions. The competitions are held annually at: Marine Corps Base (MCB) Quantico, National Capital Region (NCR); MCB Camp Butler, Far East; MCB Hawaii, Pacific; MCB Camp Pendleton, West; and MCB Camp Lejeune, East. The Marine Corps Championship Match is held at MCB Quantico. 4.b.2. Marksmanship competition participants will significantly enhance their lethality in the use of individual small arms by refining fundamental marksmanship skills, learning advanced marksmanship techniques, and overcoming mental and physical boundaries in a competitive environment. In addition to receiving advanced marksmanship training within the action shooting rifle and pistol disciplines, Marines attending the regional MCMCs will have the opportunity to learn night vision device marksmanship techniques and to accurately engage Tracked Mobile Infantry Targets (TMITs). To expand on the growing precision marksmanship capability within every infantry battalion and littoral combat team battalion, a precision marksmanship match will also be held at each MCMC. Additionally, due to the rapid proliferation of attack drones on the modern battlefield and the necessity to provide familiarization for tactics techniques and procedures (TTP) against small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), a counter small unmanned aerial systems (C-sUAS) stage is in the planning phase with the intent to add a C-sUAS stage to each MCMC and MCADC if supportable by the host installation. 4.b.3. FPV attack drone competitors will increase the lethality of their small units by enhancing the ability to operate armed FPV drones individually, with spotter small unmanned aircraft system teams, and with marksmanship competitors to set conditions for small arms engagements. 4.b.4. WTBn Quantico will coordinate with regional hosting and supporting commands to execute the MCMCs and MCADCs. 4.b.5. FY27 CIAP Schedule. 4.b.5.a. MCMC NCR, 15 November – 24 November 2026. 4.b.5.a.1. Hosting Commander: Commanding General, Training Command. 4.b.5.a.2. Hosting Unit: WTBn Quantico. 4.b.5.a.3. Registration NLT: 1 November 2026. 4.b.5.a.4. Live-fire training days: 15 November – 23 November 2026. 4.b.5.a.5. Awards ceremony: 24 November 2026. 4.b.5.b. MCMC/MCADC Far East, 7 December – 18 December 2026. 4.b.5.b.1. Hosting Commander: Commanding General, MCB Camp Smedley D. Butler. 4.b.5.b.2. Hosting Unit: Formal Marksmanship Training Center, Marine Corps Installations Pacific and III Marine Expeditionary Force Expeditionary Operations Training Group (EOTG) Unmanned Systems Regional Hub. 4.b.5.b.3. Registration NLT: 23 November 2026. 4.b.5.b.4. Live-fire training days: 7 December – 17 December 2026. 4.b.5.b.5. Awards ceremony: 18 December 2026. 4.b.5.c. MCMC/MCADC Pacific, 20 January – 29 January 2027. 4.b.5.c.1. Hosting Commander: Commanding Officer, MCB Hawaii. 4.b.5.c.2. Hosting Unit: 3d Marine Littoral Regiment and Pu‘uloa4 Range Training Facility. 4.b.5.c.3. Registration NLT: 6 January 2027. 4.b.5.c.4. Live-fire training days: 20 January – 28 January 2027. 4.b.5.c.5. Awards ceremony: 29 January 2027. 4.b.5.d. MCMC/MCADC West, 1 February – 12 February 2027. 4.b.5.d.1. Hosting Commander: Commanding General, Marine Corps Installations West – MCB Camp Pendleton and Commanding General, 1st Marine Division 4.b.5.d.2. Hosting Unit: Marksmanship Training Branch, Marine Corps Installations, School of Infantry-West Regional Hub and 1st Marine Division Schools Regional Hub 4.b.5.d.3. Registration NLT: 18 January 2027. 4.b.5.d.4. Live-fire training days: 1 February – 11 February 2027. 4.b.5.d.5. Awards ceremony: 12 February 2027. 4.b.5.e. MCMC/MCADC East, 22 February – 5 March 2027. 4.b.5.e.1. Hosting Commander: Commanding General, Marine Corps Installations East – MCB Camp Lejeune. 4.b.5.e.2. Hosting Unit: MCB Camp Lejeune, 2nd Marine Division Unmanned Systems (UXS) Center of Excellence (COE) and School of Infantry-East Regional Hubs. 4.b.5.e.3. Registration NLT: 8 February 2027. 4.b.5.e.4. Live-fire training days: 22 February – 4 March 2027. 4.b.5.e.5. Awards ceremony: 5 March 2027. 4.b.5.f. Marine Corps Championships, 19 April – 30 April 2027. 4.b.5.f.1. Hosting Commander: Commanding General, Training and Education Command. 4.b.5.f.2. Hosting Unit: WTBn Quantico. 4.b.5.f.3. Registration NLT: 5 April 2027. 4.b.5.f.4. Live-fire training days: 19 April – 29 April 2027. 4.b.5.f.5. Awards ceremony: 30 April 2027. 4.b.5.g. Inter-Service Rifle Championships, 21 June – 2 July 2027. 4.b.5.g.1. Hosting Commander: Commanding General, Training Command. 4.b.5.g.2. Hosting Unit: WTBn Quantico. 4.b.5.g.3. Registration NLT: 7 June 2027. 4.b.5.g.4. Live-fire training days: 21 June – 1 July 2027. 4.b.5.g.5. Awards ceremony: 2 July 2027. 4.c. Tasks 4.c.1. WTBn Quantico. No later than three weeks after the release of this message, provide the overall Letter of Instruction (LOI) with key planning events for the conduct of the FY27 competition season. 4.c.2. Regional hosting units. Serve as the lead planners and executing agents for respective match locations and publish the regional LOI no less than 90 days prior to execution. Regional hosting unit specifications will be detailed in the FY27 CIAP LOI. 4.d. Coordinating Instructions 4.d.1. Maximum participation increases the number of highly skilled and lethal marksmen as well as facilitating capable attack drone experts across the Marine Corps. Commanders from across the Total Force are encouraged to support individual and team entries. Quotas are managed by the hosting command based on range capacity and availability. 4.d.2. The FY27 CIAP LOI will provide the remaining details on individual eligibility, team construct, equipment, and other information. 4.d.3. The Marine Corps Championships, from 19 - 30 April 2027 at WTBn Quantico, will consist of an array of individual shooting disciplines, FPV attack drone missions, and team competition. 4.d.3.a. Marines who place in the top 10 percent at their respective MCMC or MCADC will receive an invite to participate in the Marine Corps Championships. The Captain of the MCST, MCADT, and MCCDT will send “by-name” invitations to the Marine’s battalion/squadron commanding officers and senior enlisted advisors. The MCST, MCADT, and/or MCCDT will provide more detailed reporting instructions once a Marine is approved to attend. 4.d.3.b. Marines who demonstrate maturity, professionalism, and exceptional marksmanship talent at the Marine Corps Championships will receive an invitation to serve as a summer augment. Summer augments to the MCST, MCADT, and/or MCCDT will further compete while representing the Marine Corps in state, regional, national, and inter service matches from April through August 2027. Length of TAD orders are negotiable between commanding officers but will not exceed the fiscal year. 4.d.3.c. Summer augments will be assigned to the MCST and/or MCADT effective immediately following the conclusion of the Marine Corps Championships. 4.d.4. Reference (a) will serve as the foundation for planning, awards issuance, and team construct. The MCST has also developed an Action Shooting Rule Book to ensure all MCMCs are fair, safe, and consistent. The MCADT and MCCDT will use similar evaluation methods for the competitions. Questions specific to any of the MCMCs or MCADCs should be directed to the POCs. 5. Administration and Logistics. When complete, WTBn will post the FY27 CIAP LOI and all references for the MCST, MCADT, and MCCDT on the below sites. The public sites for the teams are also listed: 5.a. MCST Public Site will have the master documents to include the FY27 CIAP LOI and enclosures titled “FY27 CIAP Schedule and Coordinating Instructions”. Download document at https://www.wtbn.marines.mil/Units/Advance-Marksmanship-Training -Company/Marine-Corps-Shooting-Team/#tab/information-downloads 5.b. Other useful sites. 5.b.1.MCST SharePoint: https://usmc.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/ TECOM_WTBN/wtbnteams/SitePages/Home.aspx 5.b.2. MCADT Public Site: https://www.wtbn.marines.mil/Units/ Headquarters-Company/Marine-Corps-Attack-Drone-Team/ 5.b.3. MCADT SharePoint: https://usmc.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/ TECOM_WTBN/MCADT/ https://usmc.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/TECOM_WTBN/wtbnteams/ SitePages/Home.aspx 5.c. The MCST will continue to post updated information on its social media accounts: Facebook, USMC Shooting Team; Instagram, usmcshootingteam. 6. Command and Signal. 6.a. Command. CO, WTBn-Quantico is the Team Captain for the MCST, MCADT, and MCCDT and has the authority to establish rules and standards for Service competition in accordance with the references. 6.b. Signal. 6.b.1. This MARADMIN expires on 30 September 2027. 6.b.2. Release authorized by Lieutenant General T. B. Savage, Deputy Commandant for Training and Education / Commanding General, Training and Education.//