The main ISR role of an UAV extends the coverage of the ship's own sensors well beyond the normal radar horizon, supplementing the existing capabilities offered by traditional manned helicopters. Other typical missions include communication relay, targeting, and weapon release. Compared to traditional naval helicopters, most Naval Shipborne UAS (NSUAS) require a much smaller footprint, enabling more units to be embarked and/or operations from smaller platforms. The unmanned solution allows long surveillance missions to be flown without risk to human crews. Some critical factors are, however, more difficult to evaluate objectively. Reliability, robust communications or automatic landing on a moving platform are all factors of paramount importance. Yet, there are other hidden factors probably even more relevant. One is the issue of certification by aviation authorities, enabling unmanned flight operations in normal airspace. Another is the integration of UAS onboard, especially with the combat management system (CMS).
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