British Army trains on Watchkeeper
Elements of the British Army’s Tactical Unmanned Air Systems (TUAS) Regiment, 47 Regiment Royal Artillery, are conducting training on the Watchkeeper UAS on Ascension Island, the army announced on 11 July.
The Watchkeeper programme aims to train 16 pilots for the first operational battery during 2016.
Supported by soldiers from 74 Support Battery Royal Artillery and instructors from the Royal School of Artillery, preparations are underway for the first course students to arrive.
The pilot course commenced in January at the Watchkeeper Training Facility in Larkhill. Students have undertaken a manned flight phase, a theory package, and flying programme in the Larkhill-based simulator facility, to prepare them for live flight training on Ascension Island.
Following completion of the course the pilots will man a frontline Watchkeeper battery that will be held at readiness to deploy across the globe in a range of situations from disaster relief to warfighting.
Watchkeeper has been developed to provide high quality imagery intelligence to the tactical commander on the battlefield, enabling commanders to make more informed decisions and reduce battlefield risk.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Training
-
![British Army Strategic Training Partner bidders drop from seven to four]()
British Army Strategic Training Partner bidders drop from seven to four
Three of the bidding consortia have dropped out of the competition to become STP for the British Army Collective Training Service.
-
![What is preventing the US Pentagon from succeeding in multi-domain scenarios?]()
What is preventing the US Pentagon from succeeding in multi-domain scenarios?
Outstanding issues to be addressed include improving doctrine, increasing the number of joint exercises and better integrating capabilities across the services.
-
![AI innovation set to revolutionise military training landscape]()
AI innovation set to revolutionise military training landscape
Artificial intelligence offers unprecedented potential to revolutionise military training, enabling agile and decisive forces.
-
![Training Together: Unlocking Educational Excellence through Military and Industry Collaboration (Studio)]()
Training Together: Unlocking Educational Excellence through Military and Industry Collaboration (Studio)
Military training is ultimately about people. At Capita, training programmes are built on close engagement with partners, delivering an educational approach that can adapt to individual needs, cultivate leadership – and drive wider cultural change.
-
![Three A-29 Super Tucanos find new home at US Air Force Test Pilot School]()
Three A-29 Super Tucanos find new home at US Air Force Test Pilot School
Embraer’s light attack aircraft were selected by Edwards Air Force Base to join its test pilot school, following their abandonment by US Air Force Special Operations Command.
-
![Enhancing Military Training Through Digital Technology (Studio)]()
Enhancing Military Training Through Digital Technology (Studio)
Digital technologies offer huge opportunities for defence training. However, militaries must adopt an agile approach, placing the needs of their organisations and personnel at the centre of their efforts.
