An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | June 18, 2008

Predator reveals first glimpse of natural disaster damage

By Spc. Eugene Cushing 106th Public Affairs Detachment

FALLON, Nev. - The Predator, the unmanned aerial vehicle that keeps soldiers and airmen safe by providing remote surveillance and reconnaissance in the Global War on Terror, is also a very powerful tool outside the combat theater.

The Predator's 'eye-in-the-sky' capabilities make it an extremely useful tool in thousands of different non-combat situations, including natural disasters.

During Vigilant Guard 2008, the state of Nevada simulated a 7.1-magnitude earthquake to test the reaction of the state's emergency response resources.

Two of the units to participate in Vigilant Guard were the U.S. Air Force's 11th Reconnaissance Squadron and the Nevada Air National Guard's 232nd Operations Squadron. The units were responsible for operating the Predator during the exercise.

The MQ-1 Predator is a medium-altitude, long-endurance, remotely-piloted aircraft. The Predator's primary mission is interdiction and armed reconnaissance against enemy targets. When not pursuing its combat mission, the Predator acts as a reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition asset for a joint-force commander.

During an emergency, responders can use the Predator to get a first look at the damage and severity of an incident.

Following an earthquake, unmanned aerial vehicles such as the Predator can be used to scope out damage in inaccessible areas, said Chief Warrant Officer Bob Bagnato, a special operations officer assigned to the Nevada National Guard's Counterdrug Task Force.

The Predator can be used to survey remote areas and assess damage resulting from an earthquake to physical features such as dams and canals, said Steve Endacott, the Fallon emergency operations center controller.

"The Predator has the ability to see at night and provide surveillance," Endacott said. "This is the first time it has been used in direct support of a county. The video from the aircraft was very impressive and had a high level of utility."

The aircraft was used to examine buildings in Fallon on June 13 to assess simulated "damage." The Predator was launched from and operated by a pilot at Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas. Live video was transmitted from the Predator to the Churchill County Emergency Operations Center.

A command, control and communications unit known as an IC4U from the California National Guard then rebroadcast the signal so operation centers throughout the state could view it as well. The IC4Us were used in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and recently during forest-fire season in California.

"The National Guard is doing all the heavy lifting here," Endacott said. "I'm just facilitating the operation.

"There were several significant issues that we had to overcome. There were air-space, time, and logistical challenges, but we got it all to work."

 

 

Related Articles
Left to right, North Carolina National Guard State Chaplain Col. Jonathan Heitman, Col. Pastor Noah Tsoka, Malawi Defense Force chief of chaplains, and Col. Alwynmichael Albano, U.S. Southern European Task Force, Africa command chaplain, meet before chapel services at Kamuzu Barracks, Lilongwe, Malawi, Aug. 11, 2024. The military-to-military exchange marked an initial visit as both teams prepared to collaborate on establishing a chaplaincy school for the MDF.
North Carolina Guard Chaplains Train with Malawi Counterparts
By Sgt. Alisha Grezlik, | Nov. 13, 2024
LILONGWE, Malawi – The Malawi Defense Force invited chaplains from U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, and their new state partners, the North Carolina National Guard, to participate in a military-to-military...

Utah Air National Guard Security Forces members secure the flightline during a nuclear operational readiness exercise Nov. 2, 2024, at Hill Air Force Base.
Utah Air Guard Showcases Nuclear Operations Readiness
By Master Sgt. Nicholas Perez, | Nov. 13, 2024
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - The Utah Air National Guard completed an intensive Nuclear Operations Readiness Exercise Nov. 1-3. The exercise engaged the 151st Wing in around-the-clock operations, preparing members to execute their...

Pfc. Anamaris Irizarry Torres, center, with her father, Maj. Cesar Irizarry, second from left; mother, Nydia Torres, second from right; Recruiting and Retention Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin Ortiz, left; and Master Sgt. Leydanil Robles, right, Recruiting and Retention, A Company Operations NCO, following Irizarry's recruitment.
Puerto Rico Guard Recruiting Commander’s Daughter Enlists
By Siul Lopez Morales, | Nov. 13, 2024
FORT BUCHANAN, Puerto Rico – Maj. Cesar Irizarry, the new Puerto Rico Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion commander, welcomed his daughter into the PRARNG. Pfc. Irizarry Torres enlisted as a human resources...