Black Jack’s new shadow takes flight

Photo By Maj. Carson Petry | FORT HOOD, Tx.- 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Soldiers conduct first test flight of the RQ-7Bv2 Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (TUAS) Oct. 11.  

FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

10.15.2018

Story by Maj. Carson Petry 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

FORT HOOD, Tx.- 1st Cavalry Division Soldiers completed the initial test flight of the RQ-7Bv2 Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (TUAS) Oct. 11.

The TUAS platoon, Co. D, 8th Engineer Battalion “Trojan Horse,” 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, occupied Landing Strip 50 after two weeks of equipment fielding and classroom training on the new version of the Shadow.

The TUAS platoon is the only organic unit that provides reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, and force protection for the Brigade Combat Team.

“The TUAS platoon provides real-time video to the tactical operations center (TOC) providing live coverage of the battlefield for the commander.” said 1st Lt. Michael, Quigley, 35D, military intelligence, D. Co, 8BEB.

This is the first day of live flights, but Soldiers of D. Co trained at length on the system.

“Today we’re conducting the first day of flight for the version 2 Shadow fielding,” said Quigley. “We’ve completed one month of classroom training and today is the first day of flight training.”

“The training for the v2 program has been intense,” said Staff Sgt. Joshua Barnes, 15W lead trainer for Shadow operators. “We spent a lot of time prepping the equipment, communicating with our civilian contractors before they arrived, weeks of classroom instruction, and we’re still learning every day.”

Quigley said the training consisted of four weeks of classroom instruction focusing on the differences and upgrades in the systems, software updates for operators sitting in the shelter, emplacing and displacing the system, and pre-flight steps before launching the aircraft.

By gaining proficiency on a system used across the 2BCT, the TUAS platoon ensures better interoperability between maneuver units.

The Shadow is not just a collection asset. It is utilized for multiple mission sets during the brigade’s gunnery. Gunnery allows the TUAS platoon to integrate with Black Jack’s battalions providing laser designation, real-time feedback for commanders, ability to retransmit communication’s signals and synchronize with S2 collections plans.

“As the system continually upgrades and changes, we’ll be able to multiply our communication's capabilities,” said Barnes. We’ll continue to communicate what we can provide for the BCT, and as our cameras upgrade in the future, our capabilities continue to increase. Whether it’s call for fire, target handoff with attack helicopters, requesting hell-fire missions, target acquisition, route or air recon, we do it all.”

• Date Taken: 10.15.2018
• Date Posted: 10.15.2018 10:29
• Story ID: 296438
• Location: FORT HOOD, TX, US