JBLM soldiers testing new drone technology over Central Washington



YAKIMA -- Soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord this week began launching unmanned aircrafts from inside a military training center near Yakima, learning to operate new drone technology that the military says will help save lives.

All this month, soldiers from the 4-6 Heavy Attack Reconnaissance Squadron (4-6 HARS), part of JBLM’s 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, will conduct test flights of the new V2 Shadow Unmanned Aerial System.

The military says the new system will allow the drone to stay in the air longer and give a clearer picture of what’s happening on the battlefield.

The 4-6 HARS is the first unit in the Army to be equipped with both the latest version of the Shadow drone and the Apache helicopter, making it possible to operate an unnamed system from inside a manned one – something JBLM says has never been done before.

The Army said the test flights will occur over a restricted military area only.