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Scenario 3: Drone over the Base  |  Drone
Drone

Drone over the Base

You see a drone over the base. You are off duty. You have no radio, only your phone.

"Drone. Near the comms building."

20 min Listen Speak
The same scenario in Full and Detailed

Please note: This is a story. It is for English practice only. It is not real military training or orders. It is not from NATO. Do not write real or secret information.

Read the full note

These scenarios are fictional and written for English-language practice only. The actions, priorities and answers in them are what the characters in each story chose to do. They are not military advice, doctrine, standard procedure or operational training, and they do not replace your own unit's or organisation's procedures and orders. This course is not produced or endorsed by NATO. Please do not enter real or sensitive information.

Words

Words for this story

Tap a word. Listen. Say it.

Radio words

The story

What happens

You are Corporal Lucia Benova. You are off duty, in your own clothes. You walk on the east path. You have no radio. You have your phone.

  1. 16:42You walk on the east path. Off duty. Your own clothes. No radio. Your phone only.
  2. 16:42A buzzing sound, up and to the west. You look up: a dark drone, about forty metres high.
  3. 16:42It moves slowly to the comms building. Then it stays in one place in the air.
  4. 16:42Two people walk on the path. They do not see it.

Short lines, not full sentences: clear English that everyone understands, whatever their first language.

Be fast

What do you say?

Press Start. Listen. Then choose fast.

Choice 1 of 3

You call the duty desk. What do you say first?

Listen

Corporal Benova calls the duty desk

Two people talk on the phone: Corporal Benova, and Sergeant Varga at the duty desk. Listen. Then answer.

1. When does the team come?

2. What does Benova say about lights?

3. What must Benova do now?

Say it back

Say the order back

On the radio, you say the order back. Then the other person knows: you understand. Listen to the order. Choose what you say back. Then say it out loud.

Your turn

Make the call

Corporal Benova calls the duty desk. Tap the parts in the right order.

Tap the parts below.

The whole scenario

How it ends

What happens next, to the end. The same events as in Full and Detailed.

  1. 16:43You walk, not run, to the trees. You watch the drone.
  2. 16:44You phone the duty desk. Sergeant Varga answers. You say who you are, where, and what you see.
  3. 16:44Is it armed? You say: "Not sure. Maybe a camera."
  4. 16:44Notes in your phone: about 30 centimetres. Dark. Four rotors. No marks. No lights.
  5. 16:44After the call, you go to the two people: "The coffee bar is open. Please come this way."
  6. 16:46Two armed guards arrive.
  7. 16:48Captain Polak arrives. He takes over. You tell him: last seen to the west, about 35 metres high. You hand over and move back.
  8. 16:51The drone flies away, to the north-north-east. Nobody stops it.
  9. 17:10Captain Polak: probably a small drone from a shop. Maybe it watches the comms building. More checks to come.
  10. 17:30A drone alert for the base. Nobody hurt. Nothing broken. You write your report. Captain Polak: "That was clear reporting."
Two ways

Two ways to say it

Same scenario, two ways. Choose by who is listening. Short and clear: when you do not know how strong their English is. Full and formal: in reports and briefings. Saying it simply is often harder. Know one way? Learn the other.

Fast and ClearDrone. Near the comms building. About four zero metres.
Full and DetailedAt 16:42 on Friday, while off duty on the eastern perimeter walking path, I observed what appeared to be an unknown quadcopter-type UAV at an estimated altitude of 40 metres, bearing 270 from my position, near the base communications building.
Fast and ClearI walk to the trees. I watch it.
Full and DetailedAt 16:43 I moved at a normal walking pace to the tree line, where I could keep the drone in sight without being visible to any camera on it.
Fast and ClearNot sure if armed.
Full and DetailedI cannot confirm whether it is armed.
Fast and ClearPlease come this way. The coffee bar is open.
Full and DetailedI then walked calmly to the two civilians and suggested they move to the recreation centre, without mentioning the drone.
Fast and ClearCaptain, here is what I saw. I hand over.
Full and DetailedWhen Capt. Polak arrived at 16:48, I briefed him on my observations and handed over.
Fast and ClearDrone gone at 16:51. Nobody stops it.
Full and DetailedThe drone departed at 16:51 on a heading of 030 (north-north-east) and was not intercepted.

The same scenario in Full and Detailed

Full and Detailed takes 45 to 60 minutes. It uses longer, formal English, and you write a report.

Scenario 3 of 3

End of the scenario

Know both. Each way is a challenge. Know the formal words? Saying it simply is often the harder skill. Know the short way? Learn the formal words you will meet in Full and Detailed.

The same scenario in Full and Detailed

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