Inzpire deliver second RPAS & ISR Operational Concepts Course to Belgian MOD
29 Jan 25
ISR ExpertsPlatform Training Services OBU
29 Jan 25
ISR ExpertsPlatform Training Services OBU
Bespoke RPAS & ISR training design and delivery
Date:
Oct 2024
8
The Belgian Ministry of Defence contracted Inzpire to design and deliver a one-week, classroom-based course aimed at educating key personnel within its Materiel Management Organisation, who will be involved in remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) and uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) programmes.
Following a successful course delivery in 2022, a second iteration was delivered in October 2024.
Course attendees ranged from the rank of OF4 (Lieutenant Colonel) to senior non-commissioned officers, with all branches of the Belgian Armed Forces represented, including air, land, and navy components, and a civil servant. Notably, none of the participants came from operational backgrounds; the majority being professionals with expertise in engineering, logistics, or contracting.
With several programmes currently in development - including the MQ-9B SkyGuardian, V-200 Skeldar, and Puma and Integrator Tactical Mini-UAS systems - the Belgian MoD wanted to improve its comprehension of the broader aspects of larger and more complex RPAS programmes. It aimed to provide its personnel with a foundational understanding of how these systems will be utilised.
The primary objective of the course was to enhance the Belgian team's ability to interpret the technical characteristics of available systems in the market. This understanding is crucial for determining the most suitable technical solutions for specific missions and enabling them to articulate their needs through clear technical specifications.
Key areas of focus included:
Overall, the course aimed to empower attendees to articulate the technical specifications of the devices they intend to purchase, and to equip them with the skills to assess UAS suitability by reading specification sheets and comparing different candidates effectively.
The majority of our RPAS experts are Qualified Weapons Instructors in ISR and more than half retain currency in their capacity as RAF Reservists to deliver and support frontline ISR and RPAS operations. This ensures Inzpire’s ISR experts always retain a solid understanding of what ISR practitioners need.
Our bespoke solution, a one-week operational concepts course, focused on RPAS and UAS operations as well as more generic intelligence, surveillance and reconnaisance (ISR) processes.
It covered:
Theory lessons and lectures culminated with a capstone exercise, requiring attendees to apply their skills and knowledge to a series of challenging operational vignettes.
This exercise required the groups to evaluate and analyse a task, the ISR targets, conduct a threat analysis and then develop technical requirements to drive a technical solution for a RPAS/UAS in terms of both system requirements and sensor / payload fit.
The knowledge gained will equip participants with the necessary context before they engage in RPAS programmes for the Belgian Armed Forces.
“The course was highly engaging and informative, reflecting the instructor’s extensive experience with UAS and their operations. Students really enjoyed having the opportunity to get feedback and information from someone who has actually done the job. Having access to this kind of experience is invaluable. “The final exercise was indeed very interesting; it brought everything together and forced us to think beyond the basic concepts.”
Belgian Armed Forces Officer
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