INTERVIEW: Christian Väth and his Tactical Drone

Drones as military observers, drones in attack. Not only from Ukraine, there is a lot to see and hear about the efficiency of these small aircraft. Christian Väth not only teaches how to handle drones, he has also just released the SPARTANAT Black Book "The Tactical Drone". What can the book do, what can we learn from it ourselves, we wanted to know in the conversation.

SPARTANAT: Christian, what makes these small, nice drones on the battlefield so efficient and dangerous?

Christian Väth: We are currently experiencing an initial technological advantage that often occurs when new capabilities come into play. Small commercial drones are cheap, available, powerful, and hard to defend against. By 2022 at the latest, these systems will have become widespread. It is extremely difficult to hit such an aircraft with conventional weapons, as they are small and fast. Currently, there is no reliably functioning defense weapon that is light enough to be carried on foot in large numbers. Until such countermeasures are available, these drones will be very effective. I see enormous potential especially in dismounted infantry combat.

SPARTANAT: What do we need to learn if we want to work tactically with a commercial drone?

The basic requirement is a skilled user. When tactical elements are added, the capabilities and limitations of one's own system must be known. This includes, for example, flight behavior in different wind strengths and altitudes, battery life in cold and hot temperatures, distance to obstacles, etc. Those who want to start leading their drone according to tactical principles should have received good flight training from an experienced instructor and should practice themselves in various weather conditions. Due to the usually very intuitive operation, this is not difficult.

"The basic requirement is a skilled user. When tactical elements are added, the capabilities and limitations of one's own system must be known."

Once tactical training begins, it depends on what the drone is intended to be used for. If it involves an environment with potential weapon effects, concealing one's own position through the right flight movements becomes particularly important. If we are in the field of emergency services, time-efficient flight patterns for grid search in major disaster situations are interesting. In both areas, precise observation and experience-based aerial image analysis are as important as the general situational awareness that can be gained from a bird's eye view.

SPARTANAT: What can your book "The Tactical Drone" do? Is it worth it?

The book is worth it for anyone interested in the topic. I see the self-developed standard procedure as the core content, here of course due to my background in the military variant. It is suitable as a universal method for many other areas, because whether you are searching for an enemy target, a patient, or something else from the air, it does not make a significant difference to the activities of the drone operator. Through the application examples given in fictional but realistic scenarios, everyone can get an impression of how commercial drones can be used in war. A great contribution is made by my co-author, Colonel Markus Reisner, of the Austrian Armed Forces. His work "Robotic Wars" is recommended to everyone at this point and has also influenced me.

SPARTANAT: You yourself have a lot of experience on the subject and people can take special practical courses with you at the "Lehrmanufaktur". What do they learn there?

In this two-day course format, together with an active military drone pilot, I teach interested individuals the standard procedure described in the book. Practice is the main focus: In addition to short theory units, the event consists of practical flight exercises, which always include a reconnaissance component. Participants usually bring their own drone and should already be able to handle their model. The contents and method-didactic design meet the same high quality standards as the other events by Die Lehrmanufaktur. If the weather does not allow drone use, a free follow-up training will be provided.

Directly to the drone courses & registration: www.taktischerdrohneneinsatz.de

Other events by "Die Lehrmanufaktur": www.lehrmanufaktur.com

CHRISTIAN VÄTH has been a freelance training manager since 2017, offering courses in private crisis preparedness, TCCC, and leadership development. He also works as a shooting instructor, especially at Akademie 0/500. Former active infantry officer (2008–2021), with roles in leadership positions in the combat units of the German Army, the Royal Marines (UK), and the Telemark Battalion (NOR) since 2008. Since 2021 he has been a reserve staff officer. He holds a Master's degree in History (Helmut-Schmidt University of the Bundeswehr and University of Liverpool).

"The Tactical Drone" by Christian Väth and Markus Reisner, SPARTANAT Black Book 2, pocket-sized paperback, 136 pages, Euro 14.90 – ORDER HERE exclusively in the SPARTANAT Shop.

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