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<p>Drone Operators are employed with Surveillance and Target Acquisition Battery, with its Headquarters in Brisbane, Queensland and across Australia in each of the Gun Regiments at a Drone Operators Section, and at the School of Artillery at Puckapunyal VIC.</p>

You will be paid while you train, and on completion of your Initial Military Training and Employment Training, you’ll earn at least:

Training

Your starting salary

Trained

Your salary once trained

In the Army you'll get paid a good salary from day one regardless of your age, experience or qualifications; and your pay increases as you progress through training.<br><br>In addition to your salary you'll receive a variety of allowances, extra pay for relevant qualifications – plus 16.4% superannuation, a far higher rate than you're likely to find in the civilian world.

General Entry: Non-Technical

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<p>Are you interested in a role that is combat focused and uses Army spy planes to be the eyes of the battlefield? As a Drone Operator, you&rsquo;ll remotely pilot a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) to gather information which will be used keep our troops up to date on the threat in their area, and provide them with accurate targeting details during the conduct of their missions.</p>
<p>You'll be trained on the theory of flight and how to identify weather conditions that affect your ability to fly. You'll be trained to work as part of a crew to operate the surveillance suite (cameras both day and night) and control the aircraft in flight. As part of the crew you will gather and distribute information to assist commanders in accurately directing their units through any danger areas. </p>
<p>It's a mentally and physically challenging role, so you'll need to be a multi-skilled team player with excellent problem solving, a technical aptitude and effective communication skills. A Drone Operator is a valuable member in combat situations. You'll find great opportunities to travel around Australia and abroad, while being primarily based in Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera, Queensland in close proximity to the city of Brisbane. </p>
<p>Your duties:</p>
<p>The duties listed below are those that you could be expected to perform, but note that not all duties are performed in each position: </p>
<ul>
    <li>Operate UAVs to observe the battle space</li>
    <li>Gather vital information to enable tactical decision making</li>
    <li>Observe meteorological data which would affect the UAV in flight</li>
    <li>Liaise with air traffic control to maintain safe flying conditions</li>
    <li>Have the ability to assist in flight planning and briefings</li>
    <li>Control the UAV in airspace with other manned and unmanned aircraft</li>
    <li>Operation of individual and crew served combat weapons</li>
    <li>Assist in the defence of ground troops; and</li>
    <li>General soldiering duties, such as manning defensive positions, patrolling, camouflaging of vehicles and field equipment, and navigation</li>
</ul>
<div class="p"><strong>In-Service Information</strong></div>
<div class="p">This role is known as <strong>Operator Unmanned Aerial System</strong> within the Army.</div>
<div class="p">Employment Category Number (ECN): <strong>250</strong></div>
<div class="p">Employment Category: <strong>Combat</strong></div>

Fly latest generation unmanned surveillance aircraft by remote control, to provide battlefield intelligence and the information required to direct troop movements.

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Drone Operator

Find out what it’s like

Benefits you won't see anywhere else

You’ll enjoy the following:

Great salary from day one, which increases with experience

Generous superannuation of 16.4% – a huge 4.9% over the Australian standard

Help to buy a home, a subsidised home loan or rent allowance

Free medical and dental for you, and subsidised healthcare for you and your family

Fully paid training

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