Awareness and acceptance of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's) has been propelled by operations in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq. Large endurance vehicles like Predator and Global Hawk have demonstrated their worth performing persistent reconnaissance and target acquisition while man portable systems, like Aero Vironment's Dragon Eye, have found application in performing over-the-hill tactical level surveillance. Recognizing this utility for transforming the way in which wars are fought, the armed services are stepping up the pace of key UAV development and procurement activities. This paper provides an overview of prominent platforms, ongoing Military and Civilian programs, industrial base support activities and material usage trends.
展开▼
