UAS Operators save lives in combat

By Mr. Kris Osborn, ASA(ALT)June 19, 2012

Puma Launch
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Puma in Flight
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Puma
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Sgt. Christopher Harris was conducting a routine reconnaissance mission in

Kunar Province, Afghanistan, in 2009 when the PUMA UAS he was operating

showed nearby, real-time footage of insurgents planting a roadside bomb

along a U.S. Army convoy route.

"We saw them putting in the IED planted in the road. They were holed up in

and coming in and out of a house twenty meters away from the dirt road we

were traveling on. I watched them for 20 minutes," Harris said, recollecting

the incident. "These guys had set an IED two kilometers away from us, and

they were waiting for us to drive by for what looked like a planned

IED-initiated ambush."

The Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensors on the PUMA UAS showed live,

real-time images of the insurgent activity on Harris' laptop-like display

screen and antenna, a One System Remote Video Terminal (OSRVT) able to give

him advance warning of the nearby threat his convoy was approaching.

The PUMA UAS is a 13-pound, portable, hand-launched unmanned system with a

wingspan of 9.2-feet and EO/IR sensors able to beam back real-time imagery

from nearby combat-relevant locations.

Due to the UAS technology, Harris was able to pinpoint the exact location of

the insurgents and the house they were operating out of to within five

meters. Then, after carefully checking the area to ensure there were no

nearby civilians or additional structures, Harris called in a 155m artillery

strike, destroying the house and ensuring safe passage for his unit's

convoy.

"I was able to observe rounds directly hitting the target. During our battle

damage assessment, we saw that the house was destroyed. EOD [Explosive

Ordnance Disposal] teams were then called in to deal with the IED,"

explained Harris, who was serving as an infantry Soldier with the 2nd

Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wa.

There have been hundreds, if not thousands of instances similar to this

throughout the last ten years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, wherein UAS

technology has been proven to bring a game-changing, life-saving capability

to forces in combat; in fact, the number of UAS in theater has grown

exponentially since the start of the wars, expanding from a handful of

systems in 2002 and 2003 to more than 4,500 UAS aircraft in service today.

The UAS systems currently being used span a range of capability, from

larger, medium-altitude systems such as the Gray Eagle and Shadow to small,

hand-launched UAS such as the Puma and Raven systems.

In each instance, UAS provide commanders and infantry engaged in conflict

with critical Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets,

providing electronic "eyes" able to spot danger over a hill or around a

corner, thus keeping more Soldiers out of harms' way.

"I am able to tell my Lt. if we are about to go up a hill...'let's toss a

bird up there and see what we've got, just a quick Recon without sending

anybody up. If there is nothing dangerous on the mountain, we proceed. Using

UAS in this way saves time and energy by not sending Soldiers up there - and

you save lives by not endangering somebody," Harris explained.

UAS are a dominant weapons system on today's battlefield, said Warrant

Officer Mike Gray, a UAS program manager.

"We go everywhere and provide overwatch. We can put a UAS up 3,000 feet to

watch a convoy. We often fly our UAS missions along routes after

route-clearance missions have gone through to make sure routes remain safe

for convoys," said Gray.

Also, UAS such as the Shadow provided overwatch security during the Iraqi

elections in January, 2009 ensuring important historic activities could not

be sabotaged by insurgent attacks, said Staff Sergeant Catalina Avalos, an

NCO with the Washington National Guard.

"We provided 24-hour overwatch on site to be sure there was no insurgent

activity, no IEDs being planted and no suspicious occurrences. In some

instances, we have been able to see actual personnel digging holes for IED

and laying down the wires," Avalos explained.

Avalos added that if the Electro-Optical cameras do not specifically catch

insurgents in the act of planting an IED, UAS infrared sensors can detect

temperature changes in the ground, thus often determining that a roadside

bomb has recently been planted.

"We are able to see a difference in ground that has been freshly dug, versus

something that has been there a while. So, when you see that, you then have

EOD units go to the site to verify if it is, in fact, an IED," Avalos said.

"UAS are one of those types of weapons system that have just revolutionized

combat in ways that are unbelievable. Commanders now know almost everything

that goes on in their battelspace. We fly aircraft longer than enemies can

stay awake."

UAS also assist with what is called "Negative Terrain Analysis" wherein

operators look to see whether elements of the terrain have changed, Avalos

added.

Avalos said many of her skills using UAS in combat were sharpened during a

six-month training course for UAS operators at Fort Huachuca, Ariz.

While UAS operators have a slightly different role compared to UAS

maintainers, every student learns every skill during training so as to

ensure students are aware of all the nuances involved in UAS deployment. UAS

training spans the entire gamut of activity, from systems engineering, UAS

sensors, deployment and interference training, Avalos explained.

"I graduated from UAS training in 2008. I love this career and would not

trade it for the world. I loved coming out of the schoolhouse and going down

range because everything I learned in the school house could be applied down

range. Lives were saved down range," said Avalos.

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