Drones keeping 10th Mountain soldiers safe from some dangers

FOB PASAB, Afghanistan — The high-pitched roar of the Shadow landing can be heard every morning before dawn at the command post of the 10th Mountain Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team here in the Kandahar region of southern Afghanistan.

The noise is welcomed by soldiers, however. During each flight, the drone scans hundreds of miles around the base to provide the U.S. military with real-time information so convoys can avoid ambushes from insurgents or roadside bombs.

While the Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System can be packed up and on the road with an infantry outfit in three hours, its main function at Pasab is to provide nearly continuous coverage of the region that 10th Mountain soldiers patrol.

After launch, the Shadow, which cruises at about 80 mph and is equipped with an infrared camera to allow coverage for nighttime raids, is piloted by soldiers in a van that houses display screens and controls. It is flown by computer prompts, not conventional stick-and-rudder controls. When its five or six hours of flight are finished, it is programmed to return to its takeoff point and lands automatically through a GPS computerized landing system.

The Shadow drone can scan convoy routes ahead of time and pick up any insurgent activity, especially the laying of improvised explosive devices, which are the largest cause of injury and death to troops here.