Admittedly, First Person View (FPV) Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with an essential precision strike capability on the battlefield. 

As part of Project Lewes, the British Army’s program to integrate new technologies and capabilities into its forces, troops have commenced training to use FPV UAS.

Flown using a virtual reality headset and carrying small explosive charges, the maneuverability of FPV UAS means they can deliver lethality disproportionate to their size, such as flying through an open hatch to destroy an armored vehicle by exploding inside it.

To that effect, the 16 Air Assault Brigade ran a screening session to find soldiers among its existing UAS pilots with the aptitude to join the jHub Drone Academy and develop their skills.

The jHub is part of Strategic Command and aims to grow the military’s capabilities through the adoption of innovative technology faster and better than its adversaries. 

Also read: Teledyne FLIR Defense | Contract to Supply 1,000 Black Hornet Nano-Drones to Ukraine – Photos & VIDEO

Currently, infantry units are issued with the Parrot and Black Hornet UAS for reconnaissance, with soldiers completing a three-week course to qualify as pilots. As explained, FPV drones lack the GPS and stabilization software fitted to conventional drones, so they are harder to fly. Yet, this renders them less vulnerable to jamming and more resilient on the battlefield.

A Parrot Anafi drone scans the trench to spot enemy positions.

In a recent training in Estonia, soldiers piloted Parrot drones on reconnaissance flights during a live-fire trench clearance operation while enemy drones hovered overhead to scout the paratroopers’ actions.

As the British Army’s highest readiness formation, 16 Air Assault Brigade is at the forefront of UAS and counter-UAS operations. 

In particular, with regard to C-UAS capabilities, the Brigade uses the SA80 A3 assault rifle in conjunction with the SMASH sight system, which uses image processing software to help soldiers shoot down UAS.

SMASH sight

Also read: DEFEA 2023 | SMARTSHOOTER presents the advanced SMASH 3000 fire control system – VIDEO and Photos