Tweet

The St. Kitts Nevis Defence Force recently hosted an intensive Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) / Drone Operation training course at Camp Springfield from Monday, July 15 to Friday, July 19, 2024. The course was led by Major Rod Studder and his team from the Florida National Guards and involved a week-long Subject Matter Expert Exchange.

Participants included members from the St. Kitts Nevis Defence Force, Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force, St. Kitts Excise and Customs, and the National Emergency Management Agency. The primary objective of the training was to expand participants’ knowledge base on UAVs and provide hands-on experience with flying drones.

Throughout the week, the participants were introduced to various aspects of UAV operation, including:

• Counter UAV strategies
• UAV identification techniques
• Future developments in UAV technology
• Modification of off-the-shelf UAVs
• Components of a UAV
• Basic operator Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Operation of DJI UAVs
• Thermal imaging for search and rescue missions
• Application of UAVs specific to each participating agency
• Manned/unmanned teaming operations

This training is part of the national security mandate to keep up to date with the latest technology to enhance surveillance capabilities and improve search and rescue operations. The Defence Force and other participating agencies are committed to continuous learning and skill development to better serve the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.