Drones featured at Special Forces conference highlights technology advancements on battlefield

TAMPA, Fla. - Many of the latest weapons of war are on display this week at the annual Special Operations Forces Industry Conference in Tampa. 

Among the newest technology are the drones that are on display – some of which are currently being used on battlefields across the world. They're a major highlight, and they continue to transform what's possible on the battlefield. 

"It is being able to mitigate risk," said Matt Bruni, who is part of the Teledyne team that creates and builds some of the latest drone technology. He also spent 10 years as an elite Special Forces soldier.  

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The "Black Hornet," a small recon drone, is an example of the technology used by US soldiers.

"It allows the war fighter to quickly deploy it extend that security bubble and gain situational awareness," Bruni said. 

The proliferation of drones, many now known as Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), is leading to all kinds of advancements, which is everything from new weapon armaments to anti-drone technologies.  

Experts said over the next few years, the goal is to start linking it all together. In other words, a full network of autonomous vehicles working together, communicating and fighting the wars of the future. 

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"We want to be able to go out and have everything to go out and talk to each other," Bruni said.

The conference has showed off a lot of technology, which shows how the battlefield is changing. It's becoming more about finding smart ways to keep soldiers out of harms way, and drone have become a huge part of those efforts.