Small, low-cost UAVs are being examined for a variety of military applications. Generally these are categorized as mini- and micro-UAVs. Mini-UAVs are tactical systems intended for small unit reconnaissance, perimeter security and similar applications. The US armed forces categorize these as "Group 1." They are small enough to be man-portable, and are either hand launched or use some form of launch assistance such as a bungee cord. Micro-UAVs are very small air vehicles, which can be held in the hand and are under a half-pound. The US deployed two MAVs in the 1990s, the FQM-151 Pioneer and the BQM-147 Exdrone. In recent years, a profusion of programs have sprouted up primarily to support operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. In 1997, the Marine Corps took its first steps to develop the Dragon Eye, a mini-UAV intended for small unit reconnaissance. The Marine Corps has begun to acquire the Dragon Eye as part of its SURSS (Small Unit Remote Scouting System) in FY04 with an objective of 176 systems and about 1,000 air vehicles for a program cost of $25.5 million. The contract for RQ-14 Dragon Eye was awarded to AeroVironment in November 2003. Due to high wash out rates, in 2006, the Marines decided to substitute the Army's RQ-11 Raven as the "Block 1" of SURSS starting with part of the FY06 funding.
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