3d CR trains on UAVs

Photo By Staff Sgt. Erik Warren | Staff Sgt. Antwian Cooper, Regimental Engineer Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, disassembles and packs a RQ-11B Raven July 9 after completing training on the unmanned aerial vehicle at Fort Hood, Texas. The UAV has a wingspan of four-and-a-half feet, weighs roughly four pounds, operates above 100 feet, and has a range of more than five miles, according to the AeroVironment website.  

FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

07.09.2015

Story by Spc. Erik Warren 

3d Cavalry Regiment Public Affairs Office

FORT HOOD, Texas – Troopers of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment spent the morning of July 9 practicing flying the RQ-11B Raven unmanned aerial vehicle on ranges here.

“Brave Rifles” Soldiers used the excursion to finalize certification, or log necessary flight time to stay qualified to operate the equipment.

The Raven is a small hand-launched aircraft that can be assembled, deployed and operated by a pair of Troopers. It’s designed to carry a camera that feeds live images back to its home station, or a tactical operations center in real time.

It has a wingspan of four-and-a-half feet, weighs roughly four pounds, operates above 100 feet, and has a range of more than five miles, according to the AeroVironment website.

Every squadron in the regiment has Ravens to aid company commanders in completing missions.

Spc. Daniel Peele, field artillery firefinder radar operator, Steel Squadron, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, from Pilot Mountain, North Carolina, said he enjoyed his first chance flying it.

“It’s pretty fun,” said Peele. “It’s something different from my every day job. It’s somewhat similar to a model plane, because you fly it with a remote, but we have a lot more features. The Raven has the ability to fly a pre-planned path - a waypoint - and return home at the push of a button autonomously.”

The small size, portability and lower cost allow subordinate commands to utilize this equipment at their discretion.
In a mission, the Raven can be launched quickly to give the battlefield commander a better view of the units’ surroundings.

Sending the small aircraft forward of a formation to spot enemy locations, without risking Troopers lives, is one use for the vehicle.

“A company commander has freedom of movement with the Raven,” said Sgt. 1st Class William Jordan, the regimental master Raven trainer. “They don’t have to go through the regiment or battalion to utilize it. The bird can be used for reconnaissance, target acquisition, battle damage assessment, and convoy security.”

The RQ-11 is a combat multiplier with capabilities of giving a grid location of hostile forces, or guiding ground units to a desired location.

“I would recommend more company commanders embrace the Raven; it gives them real time situational awareness,” said Jordan. “If you have the cards, play them.”

• Date Taken: 07.09.2015
• Date Posted: 07.28.2015 17:31
• Story ID: 171374
• Location: FORT HOOD, TX, US