Marine Corps news (July 12, 2006): Marines "eye" unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities.CENTRAL COMMAND THEATER OF OPERATION -- Marines serving with Battalion Landing Team In an amphibious operation, an infantry battalion normally reinforced by necessary combat and service elements; the basic unit for planning an assault landing. Also called BLT. 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit A Marine air-ground task force (MAGTF) that is constructed around an infantry battalion reinforced, a helicopter squadron reinforced, and a task-organized combat service support element. It normally fulfills Marine Corps forward sea-based deployment requirements. (Special Operations Capable), trained with the X-63 "Dragon-Eye" unmanned aerial vehicle A powered, aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator, uses aerodynamic forces to provide vehicle lift, can fly autonomously or be piloted remotely, can be expendable or recoverable, and can carry a lethal or nonlethal payload. June 11, as part of a training exercise in the Central Command theater of operation. The bungee-cord-launched "Dragon-Eye" provides organic aerial reconnaissance and surveillance at the small-unit level, giving Marine units the opportunity to observe real-time enemy movements beyond their traditional capacity. Whisper-quiet and weighing less than five pounds, the "Dragon-Eye" is able to navigate pre-assigned waypoints via a global positioning system Global Positioning System: see navigation satellite. Global Positioning System (GPS) Precise satellite-based navigation and location system originally developed for U.S. military use. while transmitting data--either still images or video--to a two-man control station. Capable of low-light operation and with a wingspan of just 18 centimeters, the drone can sustain flight for approximately 60 minutes. And because of its relative low cost, it can be fielded to Marines in large numbers. The effective deployment of the unmanned aerial vehicle is able to transform a small tactical unit into an all-seeing machine of war, while supplying aerial surveillance and intelligence that can keep patrols and convoys out of harm's way beyond the danger limit; in a safe place. - Latimer. See also: Out . |
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