Paratroopers train to fly drones

ANCHORAGE, AK, UNITED STATES

08.23.2018

Story by Sgt. Alexander Skripnichuk 

2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division Public Affairs

They practiced launching the vehicle into the sky. The technique appeared similar to throwing a grenade. Paratroopers fly the drones to familiarize themselves with its systems and refine their ability to fly in windy skies.
Not all launches were successful, but the Raven is made to be tough. The wings, tail and camera fall off its fiberglass body without damage.
Paratroopers can land the Raven with either an automatic or manual option. In both modes it touches down less than gracefully by design, at close distance to the ground the electric motor shuts off and it drops from the air, coming apart upon impact.
As much fun as the system provides, it is also a valuable addition to the capability of all paratroopers in the Spartan Brigade.
“Raven is really the only platform we have that allows us to see outside our perimeter, understand what we look like from the air,” said Lt. Col. James D. Cook, commander of the 725th Brigade Support Battalion, “[It] Gives us the advantage to guard against attacks or probes from the enemy.”
Having the Raven system support units down to the squad-level allows Spartans to have a higher degree of situational awareness, diminishing the chance of ambush and surprise in the modern battlefield.
“It allows us to do route recon, follow trucks and Soldiers as they move from point to point and have them covered from the sky,” said Sgt. Michael Desiano, UAS operator with Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 725th BSB. Desiano also said the Raven is capable of helping Soldiers by providing views over any hill or mountain and the ability to look behind buildings and walls, saving time and reducing the risk for paratroopers.
For the U.S. Army’s only Arctic Brigade, the Raven system is another example of the way paratroopers today utilize new technology to stay ahead.

• Date Taken: 08.23.2018
• Date Posted: 08.24.2018 17:49
• Story ID: 290280
• Location: ANCHORAGE, AK, US