Small Unarmed Aerial Systems (sUAS)
Aircraft Maintenance Remote Viewing
The 60th and 860th Aircraft Maintenance Squadrons are currently using sUAS's to conduct over-the-wing inspections when local conditions do not allow maintenance personnel access to those areas due to safety concerns. Ordinarily, those sections of the Basic Post-Flight (BPO) inspections would be pushed off until the next inspection; this leaves the possibility that the aircraft could be released to flight status with an undetected defect. The usage of sUAS's to augment maintenance inspections serves to alleviate this possibility.
Border Perimeter Security & Traffic Management
The 60th Security Forces Squadron (SFS) is using sUAS to conduct perimeter security inspections and to aid in the direction of traffic on base. These capabilities have enabled SFS to increase the frequency of perimeter inspections and to provide a more efficient means of traffic management.
Diaster Response & Recovery
Civil Engineering and other disaster response agencies are using sUAS's to conduct damage assessments and to provide situational awareness during disaster response and recovery operations. The sUAS's are also being used to provide aerial imagery to assist in the planning and execution of recovery operations.