In the last decade itself, the number and types of drones have increased significantly. With drones being developed for door-to-door delivery, military drones in the U.S. are being used to serve the country in ways unthought of before. Technological progressions have assisted in the development of more complex and useful drone technologies.
Since the mid-90s, the U.S. military has been using drone technology to execute distinct tasks. From estimating a war-zone area to the delivering of weapons, the U.S. military is using drones in spectacular ways that help the forces become more efficient in mapping out detail-oriented combat strategies.
If like most Americans you have been oblivious of the brilliant tactics used by the U.S. military, here’s a glimpse into how drones are used in military combat.
- Surveillance
The worst thing about wars is the loss of lives. To keep military personnel away from harm’s way, drones come in handy. The military uses the drones remotely to gather information of a location through surveillance. You’d be surprised to know how far and for how long military drones can fly.
The latest and the most advanced drones like the Ultra Leap and the Global Hawk can travel for miles and days. Long-range military missions are being completed with their help causing no harm to military pilots or soldiers.
The U.S. military drones can land and take off remotely, which gives a certain edge to the military’s might. Surveillance helps in collecting data and analyzing patterns in the enemy’s movements. Gathering knowledge and information is probably the most crucial aspect of the military. The drones help simplify this process most remarkably.
- Airstrikes
All drones aren’t so compact. If you think otherwise, you’re probably mistaken. The U.S. military’s Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAV) are proof that drones can be massive and extremely ferocious. As mentioned at https://cp-aeronautics.com/orbiter-1k/, these drones are designed for military applications: intelligence; land and maritime loitering missions, and can carry an explosive payload.
Not only are the military’s UCAVs capable of entering an enemy territory undetected, but these unmanned drones can also deliver strikes with utmost precision. Loaded with lightweight missiles and bombs, remotely piloted UCAVs like the MQ-9 Reaper can fly at an altitude of a whopping 50,000 feet.
From delivering precise strikes on select targets to soaring high in the skies, the U.S. military drones can vanquish enemies from the safety of their base.
- Reconnaissance
Some U.S. military drones can stay in the air for up to 24 hours at a stretch. Featuring a highly modular design, these drones are fitted with multiple cameras and sensors. Such reconnaissance drones are used by the military to capture videos and still images.
The input from the very-high performance imaging system of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) helps the military to strategize and assess plans before the troops reach the location. Knowing the enemy’s position, terrain, and weather helps the military make informed decisions and considerably increases their chances of victory.
By using reconnaissance drones, the U.S. military reduces the risk to its personnel’s lives, all the while ascertaining a fail-proof strategy to succeed in the missions.
- Real-Time Awareness
Drones are particularly useful in sending back damage reports from the war zones. The effectiveness of an attack can be determined by the Battle Damage Assessment (BDA).
The military can conclude the impact of their strike, either lethal or non-lethal, on a predefined target, based on the damage caused and potentially sustained. UAVs are capable of aiding the collection of BDA information.
Furthermore, the military drones provide real-time video surveillance from an electro-optical or an infrared camera. The drones can broadcast the information to multiple intelligence centers at once. These UAVs can loiter around for extended periods and act on real-time orders from the United States Air Force (USAF).
You might have seen a myriad of drones, but U.S. military drones are incomparable. UAVs used by the military are unique technological weapons in the skies that are being improved at an incredibly fast rate.
Looking at the budget assigned by the U.S. government for the research and development of drone technology this year, it’s fair to conclude that combat drones in the future will determine the outcome of conflicts.
With the military forces around the world rapidly adding drones to their military arsenal, the United States is increasing the defense budget. Acknowledging the various applications of drones, spending billions on creating and experimenting with this technology is not a bad move at all, is it?
