Politics & Government

Drone Training Coming To A Schoolhouse Near You

"(Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems are) the way we're going to be doing business on the battlefield from here on out."

The following story was written by Patch editor Daniel Woolfolk.

In an effort to provide ground troops with an extra set of eyes to monitor the surrounding battlefield, the Navy opened up its second schoolhouse on Camp Pendleton Tuesday. 

The Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System Program's Training and Logistics Support Activity-West will teach Marines to use the RQ-11B Raven, RQ-12A Wasp and RQ-20 Puma, according to a 1st Marine Expeditionary Force report

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“This is a major (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) asset for whoever is using it,” said Dean McCoy, an unarmed aircraft system commodity management specialist. “(Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems are) the way we’re going to be doing business on the battlefield from here on out.”

None of the systems are armed and, according to the report, the lightweight aircraft are launched by hand and can be either controlled by remote or they can follow preset coordinates. 

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Referred to as TALSAs, the schools will teach how to operate the vehicles and how to integrate them into regular units, Maj. Gary Shill, an officer who helps integrate such products into the military. 

The first such school upend in August on Camp Lejeune, NC and has trained more than 350 sailors and Marines, according to the report.

The school will train a dozen students at a time for 10 days.


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