U.S. and British soldiers test UAVs to prevent chemical or biological attacks

In the fields of Grafenwoehr, Germany, service members from the U.S., the U.K. and other U.S. Department of Defense entities watched as several new unmanned aerial tools were explained and demonstrated during a multinational joint equipment training brief April 2, 2018.

Mike Mackiewicz, an operator for an unmanned aerial system called the Instant Eye, readies software for the system during a multinational joint equipment training brief on April 2, 2018 in Grafenwoehr, Germany. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Spc. Dustin Biven)

Led by a group of civilians from the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center, the training brief served as a precursor to a scheduled Robotic Complex Breach Concept demonstration later this week. That demonstration will see the use of new air and ground equipment for the first time by Soldiers.

The unmanned aerial capabilities on display included the Lethal Miniature Ariel Missile System (LMAMS), Puma and Instant Eye UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), which provided Soldiers the ability to evaluate and detect hazards in the training area from a safe distance.

The Instant Eye UAV, can actually detect hazardous exposure such as chemical or biological threats. The best way to prevent a CBRN injury is avoidance, and that's what these assets allow us to do, avoid unnecessary exposure.

Another aerial asset, the Puma system, is a small unmanned aircraft that gives Soldiers the ability to reconnoiter an area, capture photos and other mission enhancing abilities, without placing individuals in harm's way.

The LMAMS is a direct fire missile used for neutralizing enemy targets or soft shell vehicles. This system is used to help U.S. soldiers reach threats that the standard weapon can't reach with a very low collateral damage footprint.

Select service members who will be participating in the breach exercise had the opportunity to attend a week-long course to better understand the capabilities of the aviation assets prior to the demonstration.

U.S. Army Pvt. Jonathan Jackson, a cannon crew member assigned to the 82nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas, launches a Puma aviation system during a multinational joint equipment training brief April 2, 2018, in Grafenwoehr, Germany. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Spc. Dustin Biven)