The Florida Army National Guard is testing twjo small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs)-the Shadow and the Raven-for use with the infantry and Special Forces.

With a swingspan of 12.3 feet, the lightweight Shadow UAV is primarily used by Army brigades for battlefield reconnaissance; the smaller Raven with a 5-foot wingspan is used for reconnaissance by smaller units like battalions or companies.

Both operate by remote control and utilize state-of-the-art camera systems to transmit real-time video images to soldiers on the ground.

"This is really a force multiplier for reconnaissance," said Sgt. William Koehler of the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, one of the first Florida Guard soldiers to train on the Shadow.

The 53rd is forming a platoon of 26 soldiers to operate and maintain the Shadow system, but currently only has one nonflying model for static displays and recruiting purposes. It's not currently scheduled to receive an operational Shadow until late 2009.

Like many Guard assets, the Shadow could have major applications outside of a combat environment, including providing live overhead video following natural disasters or other emergencies, said unit officials.

In early November, members of the 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group trained with the Raven UAV at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, getting a feel for the smaller, lightweight remote aircraft.

The Green Berets practiced launching the four-pound Ravens by simply flinging them into the air by hand.

After the Ravens gained enough altitude, the operators took over the flight by remote and watched the live aerial footage on a laptop computer.

The training was part of a 10-day course on Raven operations for the Special Forces.

© 2008 National Guard Association of the United States Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.