VR Goggles Get Dual Use for Suicide Prevention, Counter-drone Training

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — The global proliferation of cheap, small unmanned aerial systems that threaten troops has military services racing to incorporate counter-drone training as a top combat…

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — The global proliferation of cheap, small unmanned aerial systems that threaten troops has military services racing to incorporate counter-drone training as a top combat readiness priority. In 2025, the 1st Marine Logistics Group’s Headquarters and Service Battalion purchased a virtual-reality goggles kit for its Marines and sailors to learn how to neutralize drones. Around the same time, the battalion was focusing on building resiliency and force readiness. Trainers soon realized the VR technology had other uses.

The VR goggles use software modules that integrate AI to give users a realistic experience in an immersive digital environment.