Photo By Sgt. Tyler OConnell | Romanian Cpl. Daniel Cotulbea, 20th Infantry Battalion, Craiova, Romania, prepares a...... read more read more
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HOHENFELS, Germany- Romanian soldiers wait for orders and the fog to lift during Combined Resolve XIII, in Hohenfels, Germany, on Jan. 26, 2020. A team of four Romanian soldiers helped U.S. Soldiers by being their eye in the sky using a small, hand-launched, remote-controlled Raven drone.
“We have to wait for orders,” said Cpl. Claudiu Besliu, a Romanian soldier assigned to Headquarters Multinational Brigade South East, Craiova, Romania. “Once we have received those orders, we then have to check the forecast to make sure it is safe for flying conditions.
The Raven is lightweight and compact to carry, and only takes 15 minutes to set up.
“We then have to perform preventative maintenance checks and services on the drone, radar, and navigation equipment for preflight checks,” said Besliu.
The Raven can be flown five kilometers with an omnidirectional antenna, and 10 kilometers with a directional antenna.
“We can fly up to 90 minutes in good weather conditions,” said Besliu. “When we fly in colder weather such as this, we can usually only last 60 minutes on a battery. Any time the wind picks up, that will cut down on flight time as well.”
Drones have become a large asset on the battlefield by allowing soldiers see what dangers may lay ahead of them.
“We might have soldiers on a hilltop that we cannot see or have radio communications with due to hills blocking our signal,” said 2nd Lt Steven Nelson, 8th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Calvary Division, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, Ft. Hood, TX. “We can get eyes on our soldiers using the Raven as well as fly it down roads to see if we can spot enemy personnel or vehicles and see where they might be coming from.”
The Romanian soldiers are able to give a quick response time to getting eyes on an area that may not be easily accessible to dismount units.
“Drone crews are new to our country,” said Besliu. “And we think it is a good tool for us and for the other troops we support.”
| Date Taken: | 01.26.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 01.29.2020 13:04 |
| Story ID: | 360780 |
| Location: | HOHENFELS, BAYERN, DE |
| Web Views: | 286 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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