Army wants mini-drones for its squads by 2018
, Army Times4:57 p.m. EDT April 3, 2016
The Army is moving forward with a plan to put pocket-sized drones in the hands of its dismounted soldiers by 2018.
The service on March 1 requested information papers from industry on what technology might be available for what it’s calling Soldier Borne Sensors. The Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia, has a preliminary set of requirements and plans to go back-and-forth with industry on what already exists or could become quickly available.
“We’ve had numerous studies as well as experimentation within our battle labs. We continue to see that soldiers are kind of lacking at the squad level for relevant information that’s immediately around them,” said Phil Cheatum, deputy branch chief of electronics and special developments at MCoE.
But he also added: “We don’t know what we don’t know about what’s out there right now.”
Unmanned aerial systems such as the Gray Eagle and Shadow, which are part of larger units, have improved situational awareness for the Army. But a squad trying to clear a city block or go over a hill can remain blind to more detailed and rapidly changing threats. A quickly-deployable SBS would give squads real-time ability to inspect its most intimate threats.
The technology and concept are not new. British and Norwegian forces have been using PD-100 Black Hornet drones since about 2012, and the British have heavily leaned on them in Afghanistan. Last spring, the Army
along with a number of other gadgets at Maneuver Battle Lab Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiments at Fort Benning. U.S. special operations forces have deployed with them.
, soldiers said the Black Hornet would have been invaluable during past deployments.
“I was in Basra [Iraq]. There's a lot of roads that you don't really know where they go," Staff Sgt. Andrew Smith told Army Times. "In Afghanistan, I can't tell you the number of times you just want to know what's on the other side of a hill."
Requirements for SBS — informed by experimentation efforts like AEWE — remain preliminary and fluid at this point; the Army isn’t publicizing specifics. But Cheatum laid out some basics:
• Max weight of 150 grams:The device should weigh less than a third of a pound and ideally fit into a cargo pocket to avoid adding any additional burden to soldiers already loaded down with gear.
• Deployable within 60 seconds:Soldiers should be able to get it in the air quickly.
• A 15-minute flight time:The Army needs the SBS to stay in the air long enough to capture relevant information and, ideally, return to its operator.
• Capable camera:Cheatum said it should be able to detect a human-sized object within 50 to 75 feet with “90 percent probability.” The camera will provide soldiers a real-time feed.
• Wind tolerance of 10 to 15 knots:While such a small UAS likely won’t fly in rough conditions, Cheatum said the SBS should be able to operate in light winds.
• Range of 500 to 1,200 meters:With line of sight, the drone should be operable from a reasonable distance, with the ability to bring it home after gathering the intel.
The Black Hornet weighs just over half an ounce (18 grams) and, including the controller, the system weighs just under three pounds (1.3 kg) total, according to maker
. It can fly for about 25 minutes at speeds of up to 11 miles per hour and has a line-of-sight range of 1600 meters. Cameras can be aimed and send a live feed to the controller while also able to take more detailed still shots.
According to the British Ministry of Defence, a 2013 Black Hornet contract for 160 units
(roughly $30 million, or about
$190,000 per PD-100).
and yes LOL and you tease me again