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Opinion: The Australian Army’s plan to field an integrated first-person-view strike drone combat team at Talisman Sabre 2027 is another sign of how quickly uncrewed systems are moving from experimentation towards broader operational use.
This creates new complexities for operators who need to maintain live video and telemetry, manage mission parameters and keep control and communications functioning when bandwidth is constrained, links are intermittent, power is limited or equipment is exposed to heat, dust, rain and vibration.
The supporting technology layer is therefore increasingly important. This includes the ground control station (GCS), data links and radios, mission software, operator controls and rugged edge computing.
Together, these technologies must support first-person-view (FPV) drones operating alongside reconnaissance platforms, uncrewed ground systems, sensors and other battlefield technologies.
Integration is the next challenge
The operational value of an unmanned platform depends partly on how effectively it contributes information or effects to a broader mission.
In intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance use cases, unmanned platforms can collect information from remote or forward areas while personnel remain safe, operating from mobile or semi-fixed control points. Operational value comes from both collecting information and getting live feeds and sensor data into the wider command environment quickly enough to inform mission planning and execution.
As defence organisations introduce more unmanned platforms, they must manage more data, software, sensors, communications requirements and operator interfaces. Without effective integration, additional capability can also create additional complexity.
A well-designed ground control station (GCS) can help manage that complexity by bringing platform control, mission data and operational information together for the operator.
In practice, this requires a rugged compute platform with integrated or detachable controls, a radio frequency-ready architecture for radios and data links, and mission software that lets personnel monitor live feeds and adjust mission parameters from a single interface.
This is why interoperability matters. Defence organisations need to accommodate different platforms, payloads, software and communications systems as operational requirements change. A control layer tied to one platform or communications set-up offers less flexibility when mission requirements change.
Modularity can provide flexibility through configurable ports and expansion interfaces, swappable radio options, different data-link architectures, external antenna support and mission-specific control layouts. These elements mean a GCS can be reconfigured for different platforms or mission profiles without redesigning the entire control environment.
Processing information where it matters
As drone use expands, more live video, telemetry, sensor and mapping data will reach the tactical edge. The operational value of this information depends on whether it reaches the operator in time to maintain situational awareness, adjust mission parameters or inform the next command decision. Therefore, data needs to be processed there at the tactical edge.
Where connectivity is constrained or intermittent, relying entirely on centralised infrastructure can cause delays or leave personnel without access to information when they need it most. Processing data closer to where it is collected can help maintain operational continuity and support faster decision making.
Processing power alone is not enough. A tactical GCS may need to handle live video, telemetry, mission software and multiple control interfaces while operating in vehicles, temporary command posts or forward locations, often on battery power. This means devices must include sunlight-readable displays, glove-friendly inputs, hot-swappable batteries, configurable radios and data links, dedicated I/O, and resistance to heat, dust, rain and vibration. These are non-negotiable operational considerations, not peripheral specifications.
Attention can easily focus on the aircraft; however, these requirements directly affect whether the wider system remains usable in the field. A failure in any of these areas can interrupt the control chain when it is needed most.
Designing for continuous change
The pace of development in unmanned systems creates another challenge: avoiding architectures that become restrictive as technology evolves.
New platforms, sensors, communications technologies and mission applications will continue to emerge. Defence organisations therefore need to control environments that can evolve with them.
Getac’s work in rugged ground-control environments has focused on this need for modularity, with configurable interfaces and communications options designed to support different platforms and operational requirements.
One practical approach is a modular GCS architecture that separates the compute platform from the interfaces around it. Integrated or detachable controls, swappable radio expansion, configurable I/O, external antenna support, and multiple form factors can support dismounted, vehicle-mounted or semi-fixed command roles from a common design approach.
The broader lesson is that ground-control technology should not become the limiting factor as unmanned capability develops. The design principle is simple: the ground control layer should be able to change with the unmanned systems it supports, rather than becoming the constraint.
Open, modular and adaptable environments can make it easier to integrate new systems, support mixed fleets and work across different mission requirements. They can also become increasingly important when forces need to operate alongside partners and allies using different technologies.
From drone adoption to integrated capability
FPV drones offer defence forces another way to extend sensing, reconnaissance and strike capability at the tactical edge. The Australian Army’s current work shows how quickly these systems are becoming part of the wider force.
A major part of the next stage will be integration. Can the control layer keep data, communications and decision making connected as the number and variety of systems increases?
As unmanned systems become more numerous and varied, defence organisations will need to think beyond individual platforms and consider the control, computing, data and communications environment that connects them.
The aircraft may be the most visible part of the capability, but its operational value will increasingly depend on the technology around it, especially whether operators can control it reliably, access and process the information it generates, and integrate it effectively with the wider mission.
More drones do not automatically create more usable capability. Effective integration helps turn individual platforms into a coherent operational system at the tactical edge.
Jerry Huang is the vice-president of global market development for Getac.
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