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December 28th, 2024
Forward observers and drones seem like a match made in heaven. As the drone becomes lighter and able to loiter longer, the capabilities are a natural extension to the forward observer’s job. Alongside this progression comes a turn towards the east for future conflict planning. This has me considering the lowly man portable drone in a densely wooded environment. The navigation challenges would require advanced sensors and software or a skilled and practiced pilot. As there are only so many hours in the day, I suspect the skilled and practiced pilot wouldn’t also be the platoon forward observer.
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The current model of having skilled operators remotely controlling things like the MQ-9 is great for high-altitude deployments. The latency introduced by the distance between operator and machine doesn’t impact effectiveness. For the case of smaller drones operating within the canopy, this latency would render manual maneuvers ineffective.
The use of a special purpose squad of drone operators at the battalion level could be the solution in this case. The team would be tasked with becoming experts on the platform and given the space to train to that end. When the infantry platoon conducts a mission, their direct support drone team can provide that navigation skill they require while being close enough to the platform to react quickly.