ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. -- Do not be alarmed.
Team members at Arnold Air Force Base may soon observe a Small Unmanned Aircraft System, also known as an sUAS but more commonly referred to as a “drone,” buzzing about the sky across the installation.
This particular sUAS hovering around Arnold not only has the clearance to traverse the wild blue yonder, but it is serving an important purpose.
The sUAS at Arnold AFB, headquarters of Arnold Engineering Development Complex, will be flown over and around installation buildings, plant facilities and associated equipment to perform asset health assessments.
Although drones have been used for various purposes at other Air Force bases, the use of an sUAS to evaluate assets is a first for AEDC.
“Arnold has pushed the limits of American technology, so it is fitting that we continuously adapt and welcome new and efficient methods that augment our workforce,” said AEDC Commander Col. Grant Mizell. “Unmanned technology will decrease risk to our people by minimizing their exposure to dirty and dangerous environments.”
The drone comes equipped with infrared imaging capabilities that will allow for the detection of heat anomalies as well as a traditional camera to conduct visual inspections.
“The cameras can be used for roof leak inspections, ducting inspections, electrical yards, power lines, industrial fence perimeter and other hard-to-reach areas,” said AEDC/XPE Senior Engineer Donna Spry.
Current plans call for typical sUAS operations to occur at Arnold for short durations during normal working hours, most likely early in the morning or around sundown. It will be operated by the AEDC Test Operations and Sustainment contractor’s Condition-Based Maintenance, or CBM, Section of the Engineering Solutions Branch.
Spry emphasized that deploying the sUAS will provide significant benefits such as reducing personnel risks, faster inspections and lower maintenance costs. Personnel can avoid climbing ladders, accessing hard-to-reach and elevated areas, and keep a safe distance from highly energized equipment. The CBM personnel will determine if additional maintenance tasks will be required after analyzing the pictures obtained from the sUAS.
The idea of utilizing a drone at Arnold had been discussed for several years before an sUAS was procured in 2023 as the result of an AEDC Spark Tank idea. The sUAS vendor visited the base late last year to provide training on how to operate the drone. The device, an 11-by-13 inch, 2.75-pound Class I sUAS, was previously tested during a demonstration to ensure it was the ideal drone for Arnold, Spry said.
Those who helped bring the sUAS to Arnold want to get the word out to the workforce about the new airborne inhabitant to alleviate reports of drone activity to AEDC Security Forces and the Operations Center. The Security Forces team has a “drone buster,” so if an unauthorized sUAS is found flying in Arnold airspace, it will be captured and confiscated.
“AEDC’s sUAS receives permissions prior to each flight so Security Forces and the Operations Center are aware of where it will be and the approximate time,” Spry said.
An email was distributed to all Arnold AFB personnel before the first official flight of the sUAS. This message provided a photograph and description of the drone. The Operations Center will also send an AtHoc message to the workforce stating the area and approximate time the drone will be in flight prior to deployment.
If an AtHoc message was not delivered but an Arnold team member sees an sUAS in Arnold airspace, he or she is asked to call base Security Forces immediately at 931-454-5662 to report an unauthorized sUAS.
“The AEDC drone will only be flown during business hours, so if you see something outside those hours or that just doesn’t look right, say something,” Mizell said.
A demonstration of the drone was conducted for Mizell and other complex leadership on March 5 in front of the Administration & Engineering building at Arnold.
For now, usage of the sUAS will be exclusive to Arnold AFB, but Spry said the concept could find its way to geographically separated units within the complex.
“The Spark Tank idea only addressed uses at Arnold Air Force Base, but it could be expanded to other AEDC locations if it is determined to have beneficial applications,” she said.