Desert Hawk UAV patrols Tallil

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Terry J. Nelson
  • 407th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
TALLIL AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  Not every unmanned aerial vehicle in the sky is a Predator.

Airmen of the 407th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron here are using a miniature UAV called a “Desert Hawk” that provides an extra set of eyes in the sky, gathering information and identifying threats.



The small, 7-pound remote control-led aircraft is used by security forces Airmen and is currently part of the Air Force’s force protection airborne surveillance system. It has a four-foot wingspan and can fly for about an hour using its rechargeable batteries.

“It is great working with the Desert Hawk,” said Staff Sgt. James Ellis. “It is very simple, actually; all we do is program grid coordinates into a laptop and launch,”

The manual describes the plane’s construction as a state-of-the-art composite material, constructed of mold-injected expanded polypropylene.

“It is basically Styrofoam,” Sergeant Ellis said. “It’s pretty tough, but we can glue and tape it back together if it breaks.”

The little plane already has scars from its missions. Brown scuffs mark the underside from desert landings, and small gray lines show where glue and tape repaired the aircraft.

“We are only limited by the weather and battery life,” Sergeant Ellis said. “The environment here makes it tough to fly, especially (in) the wind. Getting the plane airborne, keeping it on track and (landing) in a safe place when it’s done (are) probably the hardest (parts) of the (Desert Hawk) mission.”

The plane is launched by a bungee cord and controlled with a portable computer system. One of its strengths is its flexibility, officials said. The Desert Hawk can change route while airborne by using waypoints in the computer’s software program. The plane can also use interchangeable payloads of color cameras and thermal imagers for day and night operations.

“I have been operating the plane for almost five months here,” Sergeant Ellis said. “In the five months, we flew security for personnel, (picked) up some weapons caches, (swept) convoy routes and provided over-head security for…weapon buy backs.

“These weapons are a big concern for us because not only could they be used against us, but they present a hazard to the patrols out there driving around; there’s a lot of unexploded ordnance in this area just waiting to go off,” he said.

Security forces Airmen use the system as part of a comprehensive anti-terrorism program. Together with remote sensors and standard foot patrols, the Desert Hawk helps keep the base and its people safe.

“Most of our UAV flights are supporting the squadron’s random anti-terrorism program,” Sergeant Ellis said. “We’ll vary our flight times and days of the week, looking for signs of possible terrorist activity. We can be ready to fly almost anytime and see any part of the base and its surroundings quickly.”

Security forces Airmen operating the system said their rotation here has been both a challenge and an opportunity. Protecting the base while operating a piece of cutting-edge technology has been an experience they said they will not soon forget.

“I feel like we’re making a difference for our security forces on patrol at Tallil,” Sergeant Ellis said. “Working with the Desert Hawk and supporting the mission here is something I’ll remember for the rest of my career.”