New Colorado National Guard Drone Base Now In Operation At Buckley AFB

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - A first-of-its-kind facility that will be used to train Colorado national guardsman in drone combat is now in full operation at Buckley Air Force Base.

A traditional ribbon cutting Sunday morning opened the doors to a very non-traditional hangar at Buckley Air Force Base. The Tactical Unmanned Aerial System, or TUAS, hangar is the base's newest addition.

"The eyes of the skies … so we're the battalion commander's eyes over the entire battlefield," Sgt. Devin Sager with the Colorado Army National Guard said.

The $4 million state-of-the-art facility uses the RQ-7 Shadow, which is not equipped to carry bombs or rockets, but will be used for military intelligence.

"We can watch convoys rolling down the road," Sager said.

In times of war the unmanned aerial vehicles are used for targeting, reconnaissance and surveillance.

"We've got (infrared) cameras so we can see if dirt has been disturbed," Sager said.

National guardsmen hope that within in the next five to 10 years the drones and their pilots could be used during Colorado's wildfire season, or if there's more flooding. But for now that's something Federal Aviation Administration regulations don't allow.

"To incorporate TUAS into a state mission could be a possibility, but as of right now that's not."

Drones will not be flown at Buckley. They'll be taken to Fort Carson to fly in restricted air space.