From June 24-28, 2024, soldiers from the New York National Guard’s 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team participated in a training event at Fort Drum, New York, to gain hands-on experience with advanced drone technology. This event marked the first time National Guard units trained with the Black Hornet 3 drone, a pocket-sized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed to enhance battlefield awareness and safety.
The Black Hornet 3, part of the Army’s Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) system, is a portable drone that transmits live video and HD still images, providing critical surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities without exposing soldiers to danger. Staff Sgt. Andy Huang of the 152nd Brigade Engineer Battalion communicated its advantages: “It’s small and lightweight, and with how high it can go, you can’t really hear it. So, you can recon a lot of stuff, and the bad guys can’t see it.”
In addition to the SBS drones, soldiers trained with the Lightweight Laser Designator Rangefinder (LLDR), a portable system that provides precise target location and laser designation for calling in fire support. Spc. Jeffrey Anicet, a joint fire support specialist, noted the LLDR’s benefits: “For us, for the observers, it makes it easier to target rounds, especially with mortars… We’re able to precision drop along those coordinates exactly where we want them to the tenth of a meter.”
Lt. Col. Gary Barney, commander of the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment, emphasized the tactical advantages these technologies offer. He explained that the drones allow scout teams to monitor areas without making direct visual contact, reducing the risk of engaging enemy forces directly.
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