Historical background

The concept of unmanned aerial vehicles was first used in the American Civil War, when the North and the South tried to launch balloons with explosive devices that would fall into the other side’s ammunition depot and explode. This concept was also used by the Japanese for around a month in World War II, when they tried to launch balloons with incendiary and other explosives. The idea was that high-altitude winds would carry them to the United States, where the dropping bombs would cause panic. Apparently, both these ideas were not effective.

The United States did use a prototype UAV called Operation Aphrodite in World War II. It was an attempt to use manned vehicles in an unmanned mode. However, at that time, the US did not have the technology to launch or control the aircraft.

Today’s UAVs owe much to the design of the cruise missiles that were used in World War II by the US and British forces. At the close of World War II, Chance Vought Aircraft, a company with no missile experience, was contracted to develop new machines. What won Vought the contact was that the proposed test missile would have a landing gear, which would help save cost. This was the beginning of the UAV.

Use in military

In the 1960s, the US started to develop ‘drones’, which were unmanned vehicles built for spying and reconnaissance. This was after they lost a manned spy aircraft to the Russians and a U-2 to Cuba. The first such drone was the ‘Firebee’ drone, a jet propelled by an engine made by Ryan Aeronautical Company. They were initially used heavily over Communist China in the 1960s, when major flaws were discovered and corrected.

The Vietnam War was the first time that UAVs, the drones in particular, were used extensively in reconnaissance and combat roles. A large number of Firebee drones, were launched for simple day reconnaissance activities. At first, they had simple cameras on them. Later, they were equipped with night photos, communications and electronic intelligence.

Over the last few years, it has been Israel that has been responsible for much of the development that has happened in the UAV sector. The Hunter and the Pioneer, which are used extensively by the US military, are direct derivatives of Israeli systems. The Pioneer was used in the Gulf War to good effect.

Following the Gulf War, officials recognized the importance of unmanned systems. The Predator, first an Advanced Technology Demonstration Project, demonstrated its worth in the skies over the Balkans. Some of the current versions of the Predator are loaded with Hellfire missiles for attack purposes.

Another popular UAV is the Global Hawk. This is a jet powered UAV that was used effectively in Afghanistan. It operates at around 60,000 feet, and carries a wide range of sensors.

UAVs that are in use and under development are both long-range and high-endurance vehicles. The Predator, for instance, can stay in the air for around 40 hours. The Global Hawk can stay in the air for 24 hours.

Commercial Applications

Unmanned aircraft are slowing finding their way into commercial applications. The US government is looking into using UAVs for surveillance over high crime areas, in order to prevent crimes from happening. They could also be used to control ‘hot spots’, where violence takes place habitually.

UAVs are finding use in the following industrial fields, based on information from [3]:

The future

The Army is developing a tactical UAV called ‘Shadow 200’, which will give the leaders ‘over-the-hill’ surveillance capabilities. The Marine unit has Dragon Eye, a small, hand-launched UAV that can give small-unit leaders a view of the battleground.

According to [4], the next generation of UAVs will be smaller, affordable, easier to train and more precise than the existing UAVs. Also, in the foreseeable future, UAVs are predicted to be able to detect nuclear, biological and chemical weapons; see into double and triple canopy jungles; and provide low-cost and reliable communications and data relay across the battlefield.

In terms of commercial applications, too, UAVs are expected to play an important role. Companies and state agencies are already looking into using UAVs in operations. Right now, FAA regulations restrict the use of UAVs in commercial applications. But with the FAA taking positive steps in this direction, it appears that in the near future, UAVs will be widely deployed in commercial applications.

References

1.      http://www.unmannedaircraft.com/

2.      http://www.aero.usyd.edu.au/wwwdocs/UAV_RAeS_prez_26Nov97.PDF: Aerospace Industry Opportunities in Australia: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles – Are They Ready This Time? Are We?

3.      Wong, K.C., Bil, C., Gordon, D., Gibbens, P.W. (1997). "Study of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Market in Australia", Final Draft, August 1997, Aerospace Technology Forum Report.

4.      ReinHardt, J.R.; James.J.E.; Flanagan.E.M. (1999) “Future Employment of UAVs”, Joint Force Quarterly