TOWNSEND — Limestone Hills by Townsend might not look like much from a distance, but they’re a key part of the future of military operations in Montana and beyond.
“This is the future,” said Sergeant Jay Utter with the Montana National Guard. “We see that this is how the war fighting is gonna go, but we need to then apply it locally as well.”
Evan Charney reports - watch the video here:
Over the last two days at the Limestone Hills training area, members of the Montana National Guard, along with military partners and innovators, have been putting new drone technology to the test, training in real-world scenarios.
Soldiers not only got hands-on experience, but also had the chance to give direct feedback to engineers and researchers about what worked and what didn’t.
That feedback is crucial. Engineers use it to quickly improve the drones, with the goal of getting them field-ready as fast as possible.
“They want 60-90 days,” Utter stated. “That's how fast we want the turnaround to be with response to some of these international situations out there, right? So the goal is hopefully in the next 3-6 months we will have these in the hands of Montana soldiers.”
Training focuses on real missions, using drones for everything from camera-based surveillance to striking targets.
Engineers are also on the ground, working out of a mobile shop where they can monitor performance, make adjustments, and fix issues in real time.
“Everything from drone flights, how they react ot different systems, how they react to weather<’ said Paul Coffy, Accelerating Force Program manager. “We’re looking at advanced sensing, how to sense drones better, how to protect soldiers, and get them ready for the next fight.”
Testing like this comes with challenges, from getting soldiers up to speed with new technology to dealing with unpredictable conditions like the weather.
Even with those hurdles, soldiers say the experience has been well worth it.
“It's been rather difficult, but fun above all,” said Montana National Guard Specialist Tyler Spencer. “Hopefully, enough to be able to take back to our respective units and share the news and share the education that we get.”
While this technology is designed with overseas missions in mind, its impact could be felt much closer to home.
“We have fires here, we have search and rescue, and with the thermal capabilities of these drones and the cameras on them, that advancement we can use for helping ourselves stateside will go a long ways,” Spencer said.
