By Grant Davis
In high-risk tactical law enforcement operations, risk mitigation is the main concern. Every tactic, tool and role must be aligned to reduce exposure to threats and increase operational efficiency. As small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) become more common in law enforcement, and specifically in tactical deployments, agencies are faced with a key operational decision: Who should be piloting the FPV-type drones during tactical/indoor operations — drone team members or SWAT operators?
This article presents a straightforward recommendation: SWAT operators should control interior drones.
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Drone team members, while highly valuable, should focus on exterior and perimeter operations where their training, equipment and expertise are most impactful and relevant. Below, I will outline the tactical, logistical and organizational advantages of this approach and conclude with a recommended model for integrating both groups effectively.
Disclaimer: Every agency faces unique constraints — whether it’s team compositions, staffing, training schedules or operational priorities. Perhaps your agency doesn’t have any SWAT operators even interested in becoming drone pilots. While this model may not be applicable to every agency, it offers a compelling case for how many law enforcement agencies could successfully integrate drones into tactical operations.
Tactical context
Drones provide critical intelligence in real time. However, the value of that intelligence depends entirely on how well it is interpreted, acted upon and communicated. A pilot with limited tactical experience may prioritize visual cues incorrectly or fail to understand their significance under pressure, leading to delays or poor decision-making. They might even overreach beyond what would be desired in a given scenario, leading to cascading issues that could further complicate the resolution of an incident.
By contrast, a SWAT operator who is trained to fly a drone brings an informed tactical lens to the use of the system. They understand the mission objectives, team movements, threat indicators and critical decision points. Whether communicating live observations or simply providing a team leader with direct visual feed access, an operator with tactical experience bridges the gap between raw video collection and actionable intelligence.
This is particularly important in ever-changing, high-risk environments where timing, clarity and context directly affect team safety and mission success.
Training and availability
One of the most practical arguments for SWAT operators flying interior drones lies in training schedules and availability.
SWAT teams are on call 24/7 and train frequently, often several times per month. They stay mission-ready. By contrast, many drone teams are part-time, with fewer personnel and less frequent training. Their focus is often limited to technology operation, not tactical integration.
This creates a clear availability gap. What happens if a drone team member isn’t on duty during a critical incident? Would agencies need to staff drone pilots 24/7 or initiate additional call-outs for every SWAT deployment? While that might be feasible in some cases, it’s generally impractical for most agencies and places an undue burden on staffing logistics and overtime budgets. Instead, the most effective model is to have SWAT operators trained as the default pilots for interior and tactical drone use, ensuring capability and continuity within the team. If drone team members happen to be on shift or on call, they can integrate seamlessly by flying perimeter surveillance — tasks that all of their pilots are already well-equipped and trained to perform.
By training a select few SWAT operators in drone use and incorporating interior drone deployment into regular SWAT training, agencies ensure that qualified pilots are already on the ground, fully briefed and ready to operate within the team itself. This approach is more efficient, cost-effective and operationally reliable.
Operational integration
For technology to be effective in tactical operations, it must be fully integrated, not added as a separate, detached element. In a well-functioning tactical unit, each member has clearly defined responsibilities, and all tools are incorporated into the team’s training, planning and execution.
When a SWAT operator is also trained in drone deployment, the UAS becomes just another tactical tool — like a ballistic shield, breaching equipment or a throwbot. The operator is accountable for maintaining the drone, deploying it within the mission plan and using it in sync with the team’s actions.
By contrast, inserting an external drone team into a tactical environment often creates friction. There can be communication lags, conflicting priorities or misunderstandings about tactical intent. These delays or inefficiencies, even when minor, can introduce risk.
In my experience, and in the stories shared by military colleagues, this dynamic is nothing new. For instance, during deployments, it was previously assumed that EOD personnel could serve as breachers due to their expertise with explosives. But in practice, the tactical risk was too great. Similarly, medics embedded with teams are rarely expected to push as aggressively or as far into an incident as the operators they are there to save if needed. The same logic applies here: tactical decisions and actions must come from those with a deep understanding of the mission, not just the tool.
Avoiding a disconnect
Many agencies launch drone programs using personnel with recreational drone experience or a strong interest in technology. While this is an excellent way to build initial program capacity, it can also result in a team that is somewhat disconnected from tactical operations.
SWAT teams routinely inspect their gear, train with mission-specific tools and are accustomed to adapting their tactics to new technologies. When drones are embedded within the SWAT team, they are treated with the same level of preparedness as any other mission-essential equipment.
In contrast, a standalone drone team may not be integrated into the operational rhythm of the SWAT unit. If these personnel are unavailable or not fully briefed on a specific operation, the team loses a significant situational awareness asset at a critical time.
Training a small group of SWAT members in drone operation ensures that the capability is always close to the action, fully understood and reliably deployed.
Recommended structure
Agencies that already have drone teams in place should continue leveraging their value, particularly for exterior operations. These teams often have, and have experience with, advanced aircraft with thermal cameras, high-resolution zoom and longer endurance. These tools are ideal for perimeter overwatch, containment monitoring, large-area searches and scene documentation.
Drone team members can operate from a command post or support perimeter officers by relaying situational updates in real time.
Meanwhile, SWAT operators should deploy compact drones designed for indoor use. These platforms support structure clearing, pre-entry reconnaissance and rapid threat assessments. Those SWAT operators who have knowledge in the drone field could serve as liaisons between the two units and participate in drone team training days to bridge the gap and maintain the unity and cohesion of both teams.
Tactical missions require tactical pilots
Interior drones are not just another camera — they are precision tools that influence real-time decision-making. Their true value lies in how information is processed and acted upon, not just in what’s seen.
Embedding drone capability within the SWAT team eliminates delays, minimizes miscommunication and ensures that aerial intelligence is delivered with immediate operational relevance. This model enhances mission success and officer safety.
External drone teams remain vital to the perimeter and overwatch mission set. But when it comes to interior deployment, the pilot should be someone directly involved in the tactical operation — someone who understands timing, terrain and threat from the inside out.
If your agency is unable or unwilling to embed drone capability into SWAT, then joint training must become the foundation. Drone operators should either be integrated into the stack or positioned nearby with full communication access. Failing to address this operational disconnect risks degraded performance and missed opportunities in critical moments.
Joint training is non-negotiable. Drone teams must train alongside SWAT on a regular basis, not just in isolation or under ideal conditions. Repetitive, realistic reps within full mission profiles allow both units to internalize roles, expectations and communication standards. The purpose isn’t simply flight proficiency — it’s mission support under pressure.
Scenario-based reps reveal the gaps. Full-fidelity joint training reveals the problems before real deployments do. Signal loss, poor visibility, communication failures or unclear mission tasking all surface in training if the training is realistic and scenario-based.
Drone pilots must understand what information operators need, when they need it and why they should be positioned in a certain way. Operators must understand the limitations of the aircraft and the situational demands on the pilots. This two-way understanding builds the interoperability required for high-risk missions.
One of the fastest ways a drone program fails is through isolation — when drone teams and tactical teams fail to collaborate, communicate or calibrate expectations. Dismissiveness on either side, whether toward the drone or the operator, only undermines mission success.
Train like it’s real. Build the relationship. The first time you discover your drone drops signal deep inside a structure, or that your pilot can’t relay critical intelligence because they’re not on SWAT comms, shouldn’t be during a live operation.
Continue the discussion
- Should your agency train SWAT operators to pilot interior drones? Why or why not?
- What challenges has your team faced integrating drones into tactical operations?
- How does your department ensure drone pilots have tactical context during missions?
About the author
Grant Davis has extensive experience on both SWAT and drone teams and is a former chief pilot and drone team leader. He has trained and consulted with numerous agencies through Public Safety UAS on the use of sUAS for search and rescue, indoor flight and aerial drone mapping, including crime scene mapping, accident reconstruction and operational planning. Davis has worked closely with SWAT and drone teams to develop, refine and implement operational strategies that build unit cohesion and deliver high-performing responses. Follow him on Instagram where he posts training videos (drone, firearms, tactics) at GuidetheFight.
| WATCH: In this clip from the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley welcomes Thor Eells, Executive Director of the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA). Eells discusses the role of advanced technology, including tactical robots and drones, in enhancing tactical training and operations. Listen to the full podcast.