- U.S. Army instructors from the 1st Battalion, 166th Regiment conducted Soldier Borne Sensor training using Teledyne FLIR Black Hornet nano-drones from Dec. 9–11, 2025.
- The training prepared cadre to integrate squad-level reconnaissance drones into future small unmanned aircraft system operator courses.
Infantry cadre assigned to the 1st Battalion, 166th Regiment – Regional Training Institute conducted Soldier Borne Sensor training from Dec. 9–11, 2025, using nano-uncrewed aerial systems from Teledyne FLIR, also known as the Black Hornet 4, as part of ongoing efforts to modernize small-unit reconnaissance and prepare instructors for future unmanned aircraft system integration.
The training focused on familiarizing instructors with Soldier Borne Sensor capabilities and basic flight operations using the Black Hornet, a micro-sized reconnaissance drone designed for squad-level employment. Soldier Borne Sensors are a category of small unmanned aircraft systems intended to give dismounted Soldiers improved situational awareness while reducing exposure to battlefield threats.
“SBS gives infantry squads the ability to see beyond line of sight without physically sending a Soldier forward,” said Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Wahl, course manager for the 166th Regiment’s sUAS operator course. “It changes how squads conduct recon and movement.”
According to the unit, the event combined classroom instruction with hands-on flight training. Cadre were introduced to system employment, operational limits, and potential use cases relevant to infantry missions. The goal was to prepare instructors to teach these capabilities as the Army refines its approach to small-unit unmanned systems.
The effort also supports future updates to the small unmanned aircraft system operator course Program of Instruction, or POI. A POI is the Army’s standardized training framework that defines course content, instructional methods, and authorized equipment to ensure consistency across the force.
RTIs conducting sUAS training expect a POI structure that exposes students to multiple drone types, including quadcopter, fixed-wing, and Soldier Borne Sensor platforms. While the specific systems used during the December training are not yet official Army programs of record, they reflect capabilities currently under evaluation across the service.
The emphasis on Soldier Borne Sensors reflects lessons drawn from recent conflicts, where small drones have become central to intelligence collection, force protection, and battlefield awareness. Lightweight sensors that can be deployed quickly at the squad level are increasingly viewed as a way to improve decision-making without increasing risk to personnel.
Unlike larger unmanned systems, Soldier Borne Sensors are designed to be carried and operated by a single Soldier. They require minimal setup time and relatively limited training to employ effectively. Their compact size, low acoustic signature, and real-time video feed make them suitable for reconnaissance in urban areas, wooded terrain, and other complex environments.
“This kind of early familiarization allows us to build training the right way from the start,” said Staff Sgt. Luis Andujar, a sUAS operator course instructor at the 166th Regiment. “Once the POI is published, we’ll be ready to effectively train Soldiers on these systems.”
The training took place at Fort Indiantown Gap and is part of a broader Army effort to push unmanned capabilities down to the lowest tactical level. By preparing instructors ahead of formal adoption, the service aims to shorten the gap between new technology evaluation and effective field training.
As noted by the unit, early exposure allows cadre to identify practical challenges, refine teaching methods, and better understand how Soldier Borne Sensors fit alongside other unmanned platforms already in use. That approach is intended to ensure that once systems are formally approved, units can integrate them without delay.