Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or Drone

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV; also known as a unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and drone is an aircraft that is flown by a pilot or a navigator without a human crew on board the aircraft. Their largest uses are in military applications. There are a wide variety of UAV shapes, sizes, configurations, and characteristics. Historically, UAVs were simple drones (remotely piloted aircraft), but autonomous control is increasingly being employed in UAVs. UAVs come in two varieties: some are controlled from a remote location (which may even be many thousands kilometers away, on another continent), and others fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans using more complex dynamic automation systems. Currently, military UAVs perform reconnaissance as well as attack missions. While many successful drone attacks on militants have been reported, they have a reputation of being prone to collateral damage and/or erroneous targeting, as with many other weapon types. UAVs are also used in a small but growing number of civil applications, such as firefighting or nonmilitary security work, such as surveillance of pipelines. UAVs are often preferred for missions that are too "dull, dirty, or dangerous" for manned aircraft.