Current Issue Articles
Small UAS Human Factors Study
By CW2 Eric Roberts: Army aviation has a historical pattern of undergoing major changes, but the recent proliferation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) is a cogent variation from the typical airframe upgrades, modifications or unit restructuring to which we have become accustomed. While larger UAS systems like Shadow and Gray Eagle function under Army Aviation branch, one of the most abundant groups of UAS known as small UAS or (SUAS) are most often placed in the hands of the barely trained junior Infantry Soldiers. There is no denying that SUAS provides vital capabilities for Infantry commanders, yet, is the asset...
Learn MoreCommand Flight Inspection Services
Air Traffic Services / By Mr. Steven M. Haag: Have you ever found yourself in an aircraft cockpit and air traffic control (ATC) contacts you with a flight plan change because of two words “Flight Check?” That’s the call sign for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight inspection aircraft that periodically check airfield services and navigational aids (NAVAIDs) throughout the National Airspace System (NAS) and overseas in support of the nation’s global strategic mission. The FAA’s flight inspection mission is augmented by military formations from the Army and Air Force that are chartered to support U.S. military operations worldwide. SFC Clifford...
Learn MoreUAS: Programmatically Focused and Engaged
Unmanned Aircraft Systems / By COL Courtney Cote: We owe our absolute best to Soldiers and to operational commanders. The team in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Management Office (UAS PMO), in coordination with a vast and diverse community of stakeholders, remains programmatically focused and operationally engaged to deliver the absolute best support we can to our Soldiers and operational commanders. There are a lot of great things going on with UAS and with the Army’s UAS portfolio. Some of the major efforts to update the community on the UAS portfolio include driving toward a higher level of commonality between...
Learn MoreFuture AUS: A Soldier’s Best Friend
Unmanned Aircraft Systems / By COL Paul A. Cravey: To meet the demands of the future strategic environment the Army must be able to achieve an enduring requirement: rapidly deploy task-organized combined arms forces able to transition quickly and conduct operations of sufficient scale and ample duration to achieve strategic objectives. During the Vietnam era, to do this, the Army innovatively integrated an emerging technology of the time, rotary wing platforms, with ground maneuver forces and fire support to increase its reach, protection, and lethality. As it was in the 1970s, to dominate in today’s and tomorrow’s multi-domain environment, the...
Learn MoreWhat Are the Rules for Small Unmanned Aircraft?
AMRDEC Tech Talk / By Mr. Dan H. Beck: It is difficult to keep up with how to legally operate a small unmanned aircraft system (SUAS). It is one of those subjects that you might get several different answers on what is legal and what is not. An RQ-11 Raven hand-launched remote-controlled unmanned aircraft system. / AMRDEC AED PHOTO I am going to step through a couple of different scenarios that will help explain the Army rules, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules and how they should be applied to your operations. DefinitionFirst off, let’s talk about SUAS basics. All Army...
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