Drones will be playing a big role in warfare, from reconnaissance to actual combat.  They will be the workhorses, especially doing missions that are too dangerous for soldiers. They will come in different shapes and sizes, different roles and capabilities, and as such soldiers should be able to know how to operate them as well as be able to counter enemy ones.

According to Military.com a drone training school has been opened in Fort Benning. Managed by the 3rd Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment, 316th Cavalry Brigade, the Small Unmanned Aerial System (SUAS) will be giving classes to trainees so they will be familiar with drones. They should be able to know how they fly and describe a drone if one flies over them.

Soldiers should be able to fill up a seven-line report when they spot a drone, and send the information to HQ via radio.

Photo: U.S. Army soldier operating RQ-11 Raven UAV (U.S. Army photo by Visual Information Specialist Paolo Bovo)

It is crucial that soldiers be able to know how drones work and be able to note if one is hostile or not. What is important for them is be able to stay alert and determine what payload a certain drone will carry, especially a hostile one. Still, even a drone that is harmless loitering around is transmitting information to the enemy and soldiers should be able to counter it either by jamming its transmission or shooting it down. Some can even counter it by capturing it to find out what an enemy drone can do.

Also, soldiers should be able to operate different types of drones. Squads should learn how to fly the small Black Hornet III which flies like a hummingbird and can go fly through tight spaces, especially in urban warfare. They also should be proficient in flying drones through various obstacles. Drone racers should easily qualify for being drone specialists in the military.

While militaries operate their own drones that can be easily identified by soldiers, they should also be aware that civilian drones can be used as weapons. Terrorists are known to put together civilian drones or even build their own drones that can drop bombs or even act as kamikaze drones. If a civilian drone is hovering in an area where it should not be, chances are, it is up to no good.

Top photo: U.S. Army Soldier with Black Hornet III (U.S. Army photo by Kyle J. O. Olson, PEO Soldier)