An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a flying vehicle without a human pilot or crew. UAVs are mostly used for military purposes, including remote sensing and targeted missile strikes. They can also be used for non-military purposes such as security and search and rescue. UAVs combine autonomy with remote control, allowing them to complete missions with minimal human intervention. The lack of a human pilot allows for longer flight times and opens up new design possibilities.
An unmanned aerial vehicle, also known as a UAV, remotely piloted vehicle, or unmanned aircraft system, is a flying vehicle that travels without a human pilot or crew present in the aircraft. UAVs are reusable; This is one of the main points that distinguishes them from other UAVs like missiles. This distinction is important because, like missiles, UAVs are most often used for military purposes, such as reconnaissance and targeted attack. An UAV can be used for military or non-military purposes, although military use of UAVs is much more common than non-military use. Non-military uses include security, search and rescue, and fire fighting.
An unmanned aerial vehicle is ideal for military use because there is no risk of loss of life and because the lack of need for a human pilot opens up many aircraft design possibilities that were previously impossible. The most common use for military UAVs is remote sensing. A small, stealthy UAV can be equipped with a variety of different sensors, allowing it to gather a wealth of information about enemy positions, even late at night. UAVs can also be used for targeted missile strikes. This is particularly useful for precise strikes for purposes such as assassinations and there is no risk of death or capture of the pilot.
A modern UAV usually combines some level of autonomy with direct remote control. Autonomy is very important, as a vehicle that can complete a mission and respond to unexpected events with minimal human intervention uses less manpower and is therefore more useful and valuable. There are many important aspects of this automation, ranging from trajectory planning to target acquisition. An UAV must also be able to control the basics of flight, such as flight stabilization, speed, and response to changing air currents. Full automation would imply the ability to prioritize tasks, cooperative functioning, and independent action based on the synthesis of several different sources of information.
The lack of a human pilot in an UAV adds another advantage: flight time. Without a pilot needing to eat, drink, or sleep, an UAV can theoretically stay airborne for as long as its fuel supply lasts. That fuel-imposed time constraint becomes less important as alternative energy sources, such as solar power, become increasingly viable. In theory, advanced UAVs should be able to stay in the sky for years at a time if necessary.
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