New York National Guard soldiers are currently testing a “pocket-sized” drone that the Army hopes to roll out across the military in the future.
The New York National Guard became the first unit to train with the Black Hornet 3 drone, a small unmanned aircraft that has a flight time of about 24 minutes and requires minimal equipment to operate. Report from Task & Purpose.
Already deployed with units such as the Army’s legendary 82nd Airborne Division, the tiny drone is small and light enough that a single soldier can carry the drone, controller, and batteries needed to operate the system as part of their regular combat load. Once airborne, the device can transmit live video and HD still images of its surroundings.
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Staff Sergeant Andy Huang of the New York National Guard inspects a drone. (Major Staff Sergeant Warren W. Wright Jr., 42nd Infantry Division Public Affairs Officer)
Some active-duty troops began using drones in 2019, and Afghanistan’s special forces have had them for several years before that, and the Army hopes to have the small devices equipped to all 7,000 troops soon, the report noted.
“The system helps our teams monitor designated areas of interest or regions that would normally be impossible to see due to terrain, time of day or enemy disposition in lieu of direct visual contact. The drone also limits the chances of our personnel decisively engaging the enemy by reducing the chance of direct or indirect fire contact,” Lt. Col. Gary Barney, commander of 2nd Squadron, 27th IBCT, 101st Cavalry Regiment, told Task & Purpose.
Army Specialist Johnny Pagan, an infantryman with the New York National Guard, pilots a drone. (U.S. Army Photo by Master Sergeant Warren W. Wright Jr.)
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After the training, Staff Sergeant Andy Huang of the New York Army National Guard said the drones are “small, light and fly so high that you can barely hear them.”
Army Specialist Nathan Trosan, a troop supply specialist with the New York National Guard, pilots the drone. (U.S. Army photo by First Sgt. Warren W. Wright Jr.)
“So you can spy on a lot of stuff, but the bad guys can’t see it,” Huang said.
While drones have some drawbacks, such as short battery life and limited ability to maneuver in windy conditions, soldiers expressed optimism about the capabilities their widespread use will provide in the future.
A Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) system unmanned aerial vehicle flies during a training event at Fort Drum, New York, June 27, 2024. (Sgt. 1st Class Warren W. Wright Jr., 42nd Infantry Division Public Affairs)
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“It makes it easier for us as observers to target, especially mortar rounds,” said lance corpsman Jeffrey Annisette, a joint fire support specialist with 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery Regiment. “When you have guided weapons coming from an aircraft, you can drop them exactly where you want them, on coordinates, with accuracy to within a tenth of a meter.”
