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Designed for
the purpose of conducting aerial
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, the drones
are becoming common because they're easy to use. An 18-year-old
soldier can learn how to launch and fly a Raven. The controls look very
much like a PlayStation controller.
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So, How do you pilot an
unmanned drone, or even get it off the ground?
Depending upon which drone is up, it can be like playing a video
game, flying an RC model plane, or simply doing data entry. These
drones are used for reconnaissance and surgical attacks. It is
launched when the soldier winds up and throws it. |
Once in the air, the Raven is controlled by a
book-sized console that looks something like a 1980s-era
electronic
football game. The screen at the top displays one of
the drone's three video feeds, and the joysticks and buttons at
the bottom pilot the craft. Operators can use the sticks to pilot
the Raven like a model plane or just preprogram GPS coordinates
for the drone to follow. There's even a button that automatically
returns the Raven to its launch site.
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Drones eye view |
.But
the Raven hates bad weather. A few days ago, one of the year's worst
winter storms downed power lines and left its flight area ankle-deep in
mud. As the storm was brewing, one of the Ravens crashed onto the roof of
an Iraqi house. A patrol promptly retrieved it, and the operator went to
the repair shop cradling his busted-up bird in his arms. The Raven is
designed to pop apart on impact, making repairs pretty straightforward.
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