Soldiers from B Co., 1 BN 69 INF learn about the capabilities of the Black Hornet UAV used for reconnaissance in peaceful and austere environments. The Black Hornet is hand launched and has a flight time of approximately 30 minutes. (Images provided by the USASA Fort Dix Training Division / Steven Roussel)
An unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), also known as a combat drone, fighter drone or battlefield UAV, is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is used for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance and carries aircraft ordnance such as missiles, anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), and/or bombs in hardpoints for drone strikes.[1][2][3] These drones are usually under real-time human control, with varying levels of autonomy.[4] UCAVs are used for reconnaissance, attacking targets and returning to base; unlike kamikaze drones which are only made to explode on impact, or surveillance drones which are only for gathering intelligence. Aircraft of this type have no onboard human pilot.[5] As the operator runs the vehicle from a remote terminal, equipment necessary for a human pilot is not needed, resulting in a lower weight and a smaller size than a manned aircraft. Many countries have operational domestic UCAVs, and many more have imported fighter drones or are in the process of developing them.
Size: 3324px × 4000px
Location: Ft. Dix, New Jersey
Photo credit: © American Photo Archive / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1, 69, aerial, aircraft, airstrike, autonomy, black, bn, combat, defense, dix, drone, fort, gps, hornet, inf, intelligence, jb, mapping, mdl, military, operator, payload, precision, reconnaissance, remote, sensor, strike, surveillance, tactics, targeting, technology, uav, vehicle, warfare, weaponized, weapons
