The field of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) is rapidly
diversifying as an array of light, midsized, and heavy UCAVs and
munitions enter the global marketplace. This has the potential to
dramatically expand access to armed unmanned platforms and change the
way unmanned aerial vehicles are used in combat.
The influence of UCAVs on the conduct of war has already been felt in
conflicts in the Caucasus, the Middle East and North Africa, where state
and non-state actors have fielded a dizzying number of UCAVs from around
the world. At the same time, advanced militaries are beginning to equip
UCAVs with increasingly sophisticated munitions, some of which are
heavier and can fly farther than the types of weapons used by UCAVs in
the past.
The first in a new series of Strategic Handbooks from Harpia Publishing
presents an essential guide to the world of armed unmanned aircraft. It
features profiles of every unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs)
currently in active military service or under development, as well as
other unmanned aerial vehicles that could potentially be armed in the
future.