Time and time again, the Army’s unmanned aircraft systems know how to make a good impression.
From the Soldier operator on console to the commander in the field, one display of the capabilities of an unmanned aircraft system as it performs reconnaissance or surveillance for an advancing unit or for an Army helicopter is enough to convince users of its value on the battlefield.
“The capabilities of unmanned aircraft systems are so huge,” Warrant Officer Michael Gray said.
“People make assumptions. They think size matters. They think because these systems are small that they can’t be that sophisticated. But once they see what they can do, that opinion changes.”
Gray was among a group of National Guard and active duty Soldiers who were on hand at the Army Aviation Association of America annual Professional Forum and Exposition in Nashville April 1-4 to talk about their experiences as operators of unmanned aircraft systems with forum attendees and the media, and also during a Bloggers Roundtable Discussion.
Gray and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Derek Kozielski fly the Shadow UAS, which requires a five to seven-member crew to launch it from a trailer-mounted pneumatic catapult and then is flown from a ground control station, for the Louisiana National Guard while Staff Sgt. Catalina Avalos flies Shadow for the Washington State National Guard.
Sgt. Christopher Harris and Spc. Kyle Jongsma, both in the active Army infantry and stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McCord, Washington, fly Puma and Raven, both small, hand-launched remote-controlled unmanned aircraft systems, as an additional responsibility.
Unmanned aircraft systems technology emerged in the mid-1990s. Hunter was the first unmanned aircraft system fielded by the Army, and was followed by a family of systems that quickly became weapons of choice for Army commanders engaged in contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan who valued the systems for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Today, the Army’s UAS fleet – consisting of Gray Eagle, Hunter, Shadow, Puma and Raven – is managed by a project manager’s office that is part of the Program Executive Office for Aviation, headquartered at Redstone Arsenal. Together, the systems have flown more than 1.37 million flight hours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Yet, for all their success, there are many who are not familiar with the Army’s UAS fleet. The five Soldiers attending Quad A see themselves as ambassadors for the systems and are undeterred by the initial reactions they receive from other Soldiers who do not know about the capabilities of unmanned aircraft systems.
“We can get heckled about the size, definitely,” Jongsma said.
“Soldiers will look at it and think ‘It’s so cute.’ It reminds them of a paper airplane or the little airplanes we flew through the air as kids,” Harris said.
“Puma and Raven can be taken along on missions at the platoon or company level. They are quickly and easily deployable by a two-man team. I’ve had close to 500 hours of flight time. These systems let us see what’s up the road or what’s around the corner. They give us situational awareness that can save lives.”
Shadow, which is operated at the brigade level by a six-Soldier team, gets similar reactions from Soldiers. That is, until it flies.
“Every time you push the button, you are showing off this system,” Gray said. “This is still kind of a new system and people don’t understand its capabilities.”
“I love teaching about what Shadow can do,” Avalos added. “I like showing them the video feedback of what’s happening on the ground.”
When commanders see that video feedback, they realize the game-changing technology they have with unmanned aircraft systems.
“For a commander, it opens up a lot of doors for opportunities of things they can do in the field,” Kozielski said. “There’s a level of security that commanders feel when they see the video they can get from a Shadow. Their confidence level goes up and they get to where they depend on the Shadow’s capabilities.”
The Soldiers all admitted to a bit of their own apprehension about serving as operators of unmanned aircraft systems. But, true to form, once they saw the systems in flight and understood the level of situational awareness they gave Soldiers in the field, they were impressed.
“This was a different challenge for me,” said Kozielski, who, along with Gray, has also served as a crew chief for Black Hawk, Huey and Kiowa helicopters.
“It was something our state Guard had picked up. I was looking for a new challenge and this new technology presented that challenge. I definitely appreciate the value it offers on the battlefield.”
Avalos happened to fall into an assignment with Shadow. At the time, she didn’t realize a new position she assumed in her National Guard unit also included duties as a Shadow UAS operator. But it didn’t take her long to realize the opportunity it presented.
“I read up on the Shadow and I was very much amazed at what I had gotten myself into,” she said. “Then, I went to school to learn how to operate Shadow. I’ve been to many Army schools, but this was the most challenging one I had ever gone to.”
Both Harris and Jongsma were assigned to UAS as an additional duty as infantrymen. But, Harris said, being a UAS operator in the field puts them in leadership positions within their platoon and company.
Gray, who is now developing the UAS Support Facility and Training Site at Fort Polk, La., and Kozielski deployed in 2010 to Iraq with the 256th Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems, and supported more than 2,000 hours of combat flight hours. Avalos deployed to Iraq in 2008, where she helped to provide security with Shadow during the country’s first democratic vote. Harris flew 70 hours of combat flight with Puma during a 2009-10 deployment with Bravo Company, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. He and Jongsma will deploy to Afghanistan soon as a two-man Puma/Raven team.
“We used Shadow to prevent the planting of improvised explosive devices and to catch the bad guys,” Gray said of his deployment. “We were able to counter indirect fire and prevent the firing of mortars into forward operating bases.”
Shadow UAS was used to locate thieves breaking into forward operating bases, with an Apache helicopter coming on the scene once the thieves were located. The UAS was used to go into situations and make assessments before ground forces or Apache helicopters were brought in for attack.
“It was a mission changer every day,” Kozielski said.
Shadow, Raven and Puma can all go on missions with Soldiers, yet they take a slightly different path.
Shadow requires an area that can serve as a temporary airfield and takes about an hour to set up. It needs a five to seven-member team for set up. With a battalion, a Shadow UAS unit consists of 27 Soldiers that provide 24-hour capabilities. The Shadow can fly missions up to nine hours long.
“As the brigade moves, Shadow moves with it,” Gray said. “Shadow is an integrated piece of the mission. It does require some advanced planning for operating in a tactical environment.”
Raven, carried in a Soldier’s rucksack, and Puma, usually carried in a vehicle within a convoy, are easily assembled and then hand-launched in the field as the need arises. Raven can fly for 70 to 90 minutes and Puma can fly for up to two hours. Raven and Puma are valued because “they go on patrol with the rest of the platoon and they provide a real-time feed to the commander,” Harris said. “These smaller systems can be deployed on the fly, in an instant in real-time. With the bigger systems – Shadow, Hunter and Gray Eagle – you have more planning involved.”
The Soldiers think unmanned aircraft systems will continue to grow their profile on the battlefield as the systems get smaller, more sophisticated and easier to use, and teaming with manned aircraft expands.
“Our primary job in UAS is to support the Soldier with real-time situational analysis. These systems are force multipliers. They bring a lot of combat power with them and allow you to be persistent in your coverage of the battlefield,” Gray said. “When you see how one of these systems can save someone’s life, they take on instant relevance.”