Joining the drones club

摘要

The future of air power is likely to be unmanned. It may also be surprisingly small. Reapers and Predators grab the headlines, but such big, well-known drones are already outnumbered by small, cheap and capable aircraft.One good example is the rq-ub Raven, made by Aero Vironment of Monrovia, California, and widely used by America's armed forces. It looks like a model aircraft. When disassembled it fits into a backpack. Launching it is a matter of snapping the parts together and throwing it into the air, whence it is carried aloft by an electric propeller. It weighs two kilograms. The American army's entire annual purchase of almost 1,300 Ravens is thus lighter than a single fully armed Reaper. Pilots might dismiss Ravens as radio-controlled toys, but they are popular with soldiers. More are being rushed to Afghanistan.