Early the morning after their arrival by C-130 at Riga International Airport in Latvia, the Shadow Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) platoon from the Michigan Army National Guard moved to the Latvian military airbase at Liel'varde to assemble their aircraft and guidance systems for training with the Latvian Army.
The Soldiers quickly sorted through their mobilization boxes, sorted materials and prioritized their work for the day. The platoon divided into two teams, one to assemble the aircraft and the other to construct the launcher, guidance and landing system. The first team removed the aircraft assembly and parts from the transport vehicle. They constructed the three RQ-7B Shadow aircraft which consisted of about ten main components. The main assembly which houses the engine was inspected and adjustments were made, then the wings where attached, followed by tail. Following assembly a careful inspection was made of the entire aircraft and its functions.
The other team moved to the landing strip to inspect and make measurements. Once they determined the best location for their operations they established their Ground Control System (GCS) which is housed in a Humvee and has controllers for both the Air Vehicle Operator (AVO) and the Mission Payload Operator (MPO). Transmitters and receivers, as well as antennas and satellite dishes were attached to support the aircraft control. Up the runway on both sides of the GCS the Tactical Automatic Landing System (TALS) was assembled. This landing mechanism is similar to that used on aircraft carriers to capture landing aircraft.
The team that assembled the aircraft moved to the airstrip to assemble the launcher which uses a catapult system to push the Shadow into the sky. The assembly of this system involved extending the rails from the trailer and setting up the hydraulic system that creates the launching force. Their final test of the day was to launch a 350-pound-blivet, a slab of steel approximately weighting the same as an aircraft, to determine if the launcher was operating correctly.
The Shadow can be used by the United States Army for reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition and battle damage assessment. The onboard camera relays real time imagery to the ground control station.
"It feels good to deploy with the equipment, get it set up do our mission. All of the anticipation is over and it is time to fly our aircraft," said Spec. Zach Plotzke, a maintainer of the air system.
The Shadow platoon will continue construct and test their system over the next few days. The first planned launch in Latvia is planned for May 14th. The training of Latvian Soldiers on the Shadow UAS will begin following the initial launch and continue through mid-June.
"These airplanes look pretty awesome. We look forward to the opportunity to train with them. We are eager to see all of the ways these UAVs will support the overall mission of the Latvian military," said Lt. I. Japins, Airfield Management Officer at Lielvarde.
The Michigan National Guard and Latvian military have a twenty-two year partnership in which the state and nation exchange techniques, tactics and procedures while members of each military train collaboratively.
The Shadow platoon is the Camp Grayling detachment of the Lansing based B Company, Brigade Special Troops Battalion (BSTB), 37th IBCT Military Intelligence Company (MICO).
Company commander, Capt. Mark Wurth commented, "It was incredible to see how every section immediately went to work to get the UAS aircraft prepped for flight. We have well trained and disciplined soldiers and this was demonstrated today. No matter how tired these Soldiers are, it is always mission first."
The twenty-four man unit arrived in Latvia in three separate flights. The first two groups traveled on C-130 Hercules from the Minnesota and North Carolina National Guard. The bulk of the equipment arrived on a C-17 flown by the New York National Guard. These aircraft transported a total of three aircraft, two launchers, six Humvees, two trailers, as well as thirty-seven mobilization boxes containing essential equipment, personal gear, and medical supplies.
The UAV platoon will participate in multiple training exercises over the next two months culminating with Sabre Strike which is a U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff directed, U.S. European Command scheduled, U.S. Army Europe led theatre security cooperation exercise that will be conducted at locations throughout the Baltic, including the Riga and Adazi training areas in Latvia. The exercise will feature the integration of U.S. close support with partner nation ground forces and a demonstration of air deployment of forces and equipment. Sabre Strike will be conducted June 9-20, 2014.
Social Sharing