A First: Single Army Unit Operates Apache, UAS

With March 20 the reflagging of the 3rd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Bliss, Texas, the Army has fielded its first unit with the capability of combining both manned and unmanned aircraft. Pilots in the new unit, formerly known as the 1/501st Aviation Battalion, can fly AH-64 Apache Longbow attack helicopters while ground-based soldiers in the same unit control RQ-7Bv2 Shadow unmanned aerial vehicles. Army aviation leaders believe that having both manned and unmanned assets operating under the same command will allow for greater coordination, and pay dividends by delivering greater lethality. The unit is expected to complete training on the new system by the end of May.