Photo By Canadian Forces Sgt Craig Fiander | The Spewer CU161 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) launches into the air ramp ready to go...... read more read more
By Kristina Davis
National Defence Canada
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan — It's a different way of observing the ground; determining what's normal and what's not. Sometimes that difference is subtle, subtle but critical.
Away from the hustle of the boardwalk, complete with Burger King and the ever-bustling Tim Hortons, sits the Tactical Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (TUAV) Flight. The Flight, including Canadian forces (CF) personnel from all three elements, is drawn largely from 403 Helicopter Operational Training Squadron at CFB Gagetown and 4 Air Defence Regiment in Moncton.
Like the boardwalk, it's a hive of activity. And they've got the numbers to prove it. In late March, the TUAV Flight celebrated a significant milestone: 1,000 hours. It's a big number with a lot of sweat behind it.
That night, March 28, the crew conducted a night overwatch mission in the Nalgham region southwest of Kandahar. It's but one example of the CU-161 Sperwer's capability and capacity; but one example of how that now familiar hum has not only a comforting effect, but also a concrete one: it saves lives.
Captain Brett Banadyga is a Griffon pilot with 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron at Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, Alberta. He's one of three Griffon pilots on the Flight; the fourth flies the CH-124 Sea King.
He talks of a recent mission. He could see a compound. Like countless others, it's made of mud, with high walls and windy paths. It's hard to see around the corner; impossible to see over the walls. Then, he could see little kids. They were running around. Nearby was a quick reaction force. They relayed the information.
Scenarios like this demonstrate the importance of the TUAV, says Capt Banadyga. "We can direct troops on the ground," he explains, "over compounds, over water, where they can't see."
Soon after, the Afghan national army planned an artillery shoot in a remote location. The TUAV Flight was tasked to check out the area, just in case. As it turned out, there were nomadic peoples in the area. The shoot was called off. Capt Banadyga calls these types of missions their "bread and butter".
On his first deployment, he says his helicopter background has come in handy, as has his experience working with the army. And while flying a Griffon and flying a TUAV may seem like comparing apples to oranges, he says there are surprising similarities. Mission planning, for example, is similar, as are some of the instruments. Plus, he has two radios: one to talk to the "launchers" and the other to talk to air traffic control at Kandahar Air Field. The rule of thumb: helicopters below, fighters above and TUAVs in the middle.
And while the crews are, literally, from all over the map, he says no one would ever know it. "We are a seamless team now."
Master Warrant Officer Jeff Ripley is the senior maintenance manager with the Flight. Working 16 hours on 16 hours off, he says the maintenance shop has been busy. Busy reaching milestones of its own.
In fact, MWO Ripley says the CF has done repairs to the Sperwer's structure that no other country has ever done. And, they've also flown four flights in a 24-hour span, another feat he thinks is an international first.
But, he says, there are challenges. "It's labour intensive," he offers. Technicians are often moving pieces from one aircraft to another. But, he adds, the work goes smoothly because each member of the team understands the other's job.
And, he says, despite their size and potential intricacies, the TUAV is no more difficult to repair than any other aircraft. Yet, there's a lot involved to ready the Sperwer for flight.
He, too, says the team is seamless. He harkens back to that understanding of what all team members do: no matter where they hail from. "The army's working with the air force. The air force works with the army. We're working side-by-side."
| Date Taken: | 07.16.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 07.16.2007 13:18 |
| Story ID: | 11299 |
| Location: | KANDAHAR, AF |
| Web Views: | 103 |
| Downloads: | 61 |
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