Photo By Spc. Jason Jordan | Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Thornthwaite and Spc. William Arms, with the 1/10th Mountain...... read more read more
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By Spc. Jason Jordan, 1/10th Mtn. Div. PAO
KIRKUK, Iraq – They are known as the 'commander's eyes on the battlefield. Coalition forces have used them to discover improvised explosive devices, track the movement of enemy personnel, clear routes planned for convoy movement, and locate key targets – all without having to leave the relative safety of their bases.
They are known officially as Unmanned Aircraft Systems – remote and satellite-controlled miniature aircrafts that are used for Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition missions in combat zones.
Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division's, 1st Brigade Combat Team have been using the most popular UAS, the Shadow 200, as a way to monitor the battlefield since their arrival to the Kirkuk province of northeastern Iraq in October, 2007.
"The Shadow 200 has been a tremendous asset to our brigade's combat operations," Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Thornthwaite, 1st Brigade, 10th Mtn. Div.'s, Special Troops Battalion, UAS Platoon Sergeant said. "We have been able to get a picture of the battlefield, before we send our troops outside the wire."
The 10th Mtn. Soldiers complete rigorous maintenance and performance checks before each launch of the Shadow 200, sometimes taking the system completely apart and putting it back together, in order to ensure the machine is operational.
The Soldiers lock onto the Shadow 200's frequency using a satellite, manned from a ground control station, where the system is monitored and controlled.
Once airborne, the Shadow 200 is able to see targets up to 125 kilometers away from the Soldiers' Tactical Operations Center, and is capable of recognizing tactical vehicles from up to 8,000 feet high.
The system transmits the captured images, in near real time, and Soldiers view the footage via television sets and computer monitors.
On two different occasions, the 1st BSTB UAS operators located enemy personnel planting IEDs, and tracked their movement using the Shadow 200, allowing Soldiers to not only safely dispose of the IEDs, but capture the culprits as well.
"With these systems, we are able to stay on top, stay observant and keep an eye out," said Sgt. Josh Nelson, UAS Training, Knowledge and Standardization operator. "We are similar to a TV crew – but with a much bigger mission."
"These systems have undoubtedly helped saved lives. When we discover an IED using the UAS, that is one less IED that can kill an American Soldier," Spc. William Arms, 1st BSTB UAS operator said. "These systems give us a much needed advantage. We are in the enemy's backyard and we are unfamiliar with this terrain. Using the Shadow 200 allows us to 'look around the corner' – without having to walk around out there."
Although the UAS operators are able to provide Soldiers on the ground with a valuable asset, they insist that their job is only to assist those that do the 'real work'.
"The guys on the ground still do the work – they have the tough job. We are here for them – we do our job for them," Arms said. "They are out there protecting us, and we are just trying to protect them too."
| Date Taken: | 01.28.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 01.28.2008 18:25 |
| Story ID: | 15863 |
| Location: | KIRKUK, IQ |
| Web Views: | 201 |
| Downloads: | 162 |
This work, Unmanned Aircraft Systems transforming today's combat operations, by SPC Jason Jordan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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