The U.S. Army’s First Drone Bases Were Simple
For many pilotless planes, things haven’t changed much since
by JOSEPH TREVITHICK
A popular image of American drone bases abroad is of small, dusty airstrips and clam-shell hangars, often attached to foreign airports. In early stages of the Cold War, the U.S. Army’s first pilotless spies relied on even simpler sites.
In 1959, the ground combat branch bought its first unmanned spooks. The planes were relatively crude, with limited range and only basic cameras.
The Army actually considered the whole drone “package,” including 12 radio-controlled aircraft, three launchers, two ground stations, along with other associated equipment, spare parts and tools as a single piece of kit, according to a 1961 training manual. But all it took was one individual to control the drone during its mission.
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