Shadow UAV enhances surveillance capabilities at Saber Junction 17

Photo By Devon Bistarkey | A U.S. Army RQ-7B Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (TUAS) is operated the UAV Platoon, Delta Troop, Regimental Engineer Squadron (RES), 2d Cavalry Regiment during Saber Junction 17 at the Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, May 10, 2017. Saber Junction 17 is the U.S. Army Europe's combat training center certification exercise for 2CR, taking place at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, April 25-May 19, 2017. The exercise is designed to assess the readiness of the regiment to conduct unified land operations, with a particular emphasis on rehearsing the transition from garrison to combat operations, and exercising operational and tactical decision-making skills. Saber Junction 17 includes nearly 4,500 participants from 13 NATO and European partner nations. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Devon Bistarkey, 2CR Public Affairs)  

GERMANY

05.10.2017

Story by Devon Bistarkey 

2d Cavalry Regiment

HOHENFELS, Germany (May 10, 2017) -- "Shadow is airborne at this time," radios U.S. Army Sgt. Phillip Marlowe, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) crew chief, UAV Platoon Delta Troop, Regimental Engineer Squadron (RES), 2d Cavalry Regiment, signifying the successful launch of a RQ-7B Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (TUAS) during Saber Junction 17 at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, May 10, 2017.

Once airborne, the Shadow UAV is capable of up to six hours of flight time providing live areal imagery directly to the Regimental Tactical Operations Center (RTOC).

Serving as an Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, or ISR, platform information gathered by the Shadow UAV directly supports troop efforts on ground as part of the rotational training exercise evaluating the regiment's ability to conduct unified land operations.

Part of land operations includes pulling security and avoiding detection -- two challenges Delta Troop had to adjust for since their arrival here.

"Normally we operate and launch from an airstrip, but here, in order to make the training more realistic, we have positioned ourselves in concealment maneuvering our Ground Control Station (GSC) from cover to a flight position and then back into cover," said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Brandon Sutton, UAV operations officer.

Focusing on quick change over times, from launch to land, along with maintaining the three Shadow UAV systems, the team has worked together to run continuous missions during the two-week training exercise. Flight operations include two daytime launches and two night launches. Those missions deliver an intelligence payload along with the crew's ability to coordinate direct fires with aviators.

In addition to an ISR platform, the Shadow UAV conducts man-unmanned teaming, or MUM-T, with Apaches by "lasering" on a target that can then guide the aircrafts hellfire missiles. By enabling pilots to locate and pursue targets rapidly the Shadow UAV adds another critical capability to the 2CR formation.

Training on this system here ensures that each time "Shadow is airborne" is radioed out; Delta Troop is ready to provide critical surveillance data and coordinate lethal force on the battlefield.

• Date Taken: 05.10.2017
• Date Posted: 05.11.2017 07:40
• Story ID: 233423
• Location: DE