DECEMBER 18, 2025 – Infantry cadre assigned to the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 166th Regiment – Regional Training Institute, or RTI, conducted Soldier Borne Sensor, or SBS, training Dec. 9–11, as part of ongoing efforts to modernize small-unit reconnaissance and prepare instructors for future unmanned aircraft system integration.
The training familiarized the cadre with SBS 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, or sUAS, intended to provide dismounted Soldiers with enhanced situational awareness while reducing exposure to threats on the battlefield.
“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.”
The event focused on classroom instruction and hands-on flight training, enabling the cadre to understand system employment, limitations and potential use cases. The effort supports future updates to the sUAS operator course Program of Instruction, or POI, which is expected to incorporate SBS platforms alongside other sUAS categories.
A POI is the Army’s standardized training framework that defines what is taught, how it is taught and what equipment is authorized for a course, ensuring consistency across the force.
RTIs conducting sUAS training anticipate a POI structure that will expose students to multiple drone types, including quadcopter, fixed-wing and Soldier Borne Sensor platforms. While the specific systems used during this training are not yet official Army programs of record, they are representative of capabilities being evaluated across the force.
The emphasis on SBS reflects lessons learned from modern conflict, where drones have become indispensable tools for intelligence collection, force protection and battlefield control. By equipping squads with lightweight, rapidly deployable sensors, the Army aims to increase lethality and survivability while minimizing risk to Soldiers.
Unlike larger unmanned systems, SBS platforms are designed to be carried and operated by a single Soldier, requiring minimal setup time and limited training to employ effectively. Their compact size, low sound output and real-time video capability make them well-suited for reconnaissance in complex terrain and contested 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 Soldier Borne Sensor training at Fort Indiantown Gap marks another step in the Army’s broader effort to integrate unmanned systems at the lowest tactical level, ensuring small units remain adaptable, informed and decisive in future operations.
By Sgt. 1st Class Shane Smith
166th Regiment – Regional Training Institute