The Shadow knows!

For those of us of a certain age, the first three words of this article allude to The Shadow, a collection of crime fighting, 1930s pulp novels.

The series' hero was a World War I hero named Kent Allard, a shadowy character who dressed in a slop-brimmed hat and black cloak as he fought crime in New York City.

In a tip of the aviator's hat to Allard's flying skills, the novels made reference to his piloting of an early version of a helicopter, then referred to as an "Autogyro."

I watched mechanics Pfc. Kevin Kitchens and Spc. Richard Jackson turn wrenches in order to remove the engine from a Shadow Version 2 (RQ-7B V2), which is manufactured by Textron Systems.

The thought crossed my mind what The Shadow would have thought of this tactical unmanned aircraft system named (perhaps) with him in mind.

As the Army grapples with increasingly complex battlefield and budgetary environments, it has adapted by combining its manned and unmanned aviation capabilities.

The 4th Squadron, 6th U.S. Cavalry Regiment, Heavy Attack Reconnaissance Squadron (HARS), 16th Combat Aviation Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, is the first unit to take the unmanned Shadow Version 2 and pair it with the manned and digital capabilities of the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter.

Where The Shadow had his .45-caliber M1911 semi-automatic to work with, the Shadow Version 2 brings along a fully operational AH-64E Apache helicopter.

Either way, the bad guys lose.

Combining the E Model Apache with the Version 2 Shadow is part of the Army's five year Aviation Restructuring Initiative (ARI) as it works to save money and fill the void left with the mothballing of the OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter.

Hence the change to the manned-unmanned teaming concept.

Several miles away from where Kitchens and Jackson turned wrenches, Spc. Ashley Santiago and Pfc. Jared Stevenson sat in front of a Universal Mission Simulator, or UMS.

"For the pilots flying the Apaches, not much is new," commented Rick Zamarron, a UMS instructor, as the two soldiers ran through a pre-flight checklist.

"For these soldiers here though, having to learn the Shadow Version 2's menus takes training."

The Shadow Version 2 can provide real-time video from the battlefield to the cockpit, allowing aircrews more situational awareness.

It can also feed video into a tactical operations center and serve as a communications relay.

According to a Textron Systems information sheet, the aircraft excels in its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance roles.  

What's more, the Shadow Version 2 comes with a high-bandwidth, encrypted data link that allows the aircraft to carry payloads ranging from high-definition video to secure control for missions.

The Shadow Version 2 can also carry firepower.

Think "force multiplier" here and you're getting the idea.

"This is quite a step forward," commented CWO3 Daniel Fernandez, 4-6 HARS.  

"From an aviation perspective, we are using the strengths of the manned systems and the strength of the unmanned systems and using that ability that neither could have on its own."

The Shadow agrees.