Military and law enforcement applications of UAVs have been placed under a higher level of scrutiny due to issues associated with privacy and engagement. However, NASA has been operating UAVs and unmanned space systems for decades without the same degree of public perception issues. How do unmanned aircraft robotic systems (i.e., MQ-9 Reaper) differ from civilian unmanned space systems (e.g., NASA Curiosity Rover)? Consider their similarities regarding mission performance, functionality, design, and support Solution Military As of January 2014, the U.S. military operated 7,362 RQ-11B Ravens; 145 AeroVironment RQ- 12A Wasps; 1,137AeroVironment RQ-20A Pumas; 306 RQ-16 T-Hawk small UAS; 246 Predators and MQ-1C Grey Eagles; 126 MQ-9 Reapers; 491 RQ-7 Shadows and 33 RQ-4 Global Hawk large systems. Reconnaissance The Tu-141 \"Swift\" reusable Soviet reconnaissance drone is intended for reconnaissance to a depth of several hundred kilometers from the front line at supersonic speeds.[91] The Tu-123 \"Hawk\" is a supersonic long-range reconnaissance drone (UAV) intended for conducting photographic and signals intelligence to a distance of 3200 km; it was produced beginning in 1964.[92] The La-17P (UAV) is a reconnaissance UAV produced since 1963.[93] In 1945 the Soviet Union began producing \"doodlebug\".[94] 43 Soviet/Russian UAV models are known.[95] In 2013, the U.S. Navy launched a UAV from a submerged submarine, the first step to \"providing mission intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to the U.S. Navy\'s submarine force.\"[96] Attack MQ-1 Predator UAVs armed with Hellfire missiles have been used by the U.S. as platforms for hitting ground targets. Armed Predators were first used in late 2001, mostly aimed at assassinating high-profile individuals (terrorist leaders, etc.) inside Afghanistan. UAVs avoid potential diplomatic embarrassment when a manned aircraft is shot down and the pilots captured. Defense against UAVs The US armed forces have no defense against low-level drone attack, but the Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Organization is working to repurpose existing systems. Two German companies are developing 40-kW lasers to damage UAVs. Three British companies jointly developed a system to track and disrupt UAV control mechanisms. Other systems still include the OpenWorks Engineering Skywall and the Battelle DroneDefender. Targets for military training Since 1997, the US military has used more than 80 F-4 Phantoms converted into UAVs as aerial targets for combat training of human pilots. The F-4s were supplemented in September 2013 with F-16s as more realistically maneuverable targets. Civil Civil uses include aerial crop surveys, aerial photograpy, search and rescue, inspection of power lines and pipelines, counting wildlife delivering medical supplies to otherwise inaccessible regions, and detection of illegal hunting, reconnaissance operations, cooperative environment monitoring, border patrol missions, conv.

1. Military and law enforcement applications of UAVs have been placed under a higher level of
scrutiny due to issues associated with privacy and engagement. However, NASA has been
operating UAVs and unmanned space systems for decades without the same degree of public
perception issues. How do unmanned aircraft robotic systems (i.e., MQ-9 Reaper) differ from
civilian unmanned space systems (e.g., NASA Curiosity Rover)? Consider their similarities
regarding mission performance, functionality, design, and support
Solution
Military
As of January 2014, the U.S. military operated 7,362 RQ-11B Ravens; 145 AeroVironment RQ-
12A Wasps; 1,137AeroVironment RQ-20A Pumas; 306 RQ-16 T-Hawk small UAS; 246
Predators and MQ-1C Grey Eagles; 126 MQ-9 Reapers; 491 RQ-7 Shadows and 33 RQ-4 Global
Hawk large systems.
Reconnaissance
The Tu-141 "Swift" reusable Soviet reconnaissance drone is intended for reconnaissance to a
depth of several hundred kilometers from the front line at supersonic speeds.[91] The Tu-123
"Hawk" is a supersonic long-range reconnaissance drone (UAV) intended for conducting
photographic and signals intelligence to a distance of 3200 km; it was produced beginning in
1964.[92] The La-17P (UAV) is a reconnaissance UAV produced since 1963.[93] In 1945 the
Soviet Union began producing "doodlebug".[94] 43 Soviet/Russian UAV models are
known.[95]
In 2013, the U.S. Navy launched a UAV from a submerged submarine, the first step to
"providing mission intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to the U.S. Navy's
submarine force."[96]
Attack
MQ-1 Predator UAVs armed with Hellfire missiles have been used by the U.S. as platforms for
hitting ground targets. Armed Predators were first used in late 2001, mostly aimed at
assassinating high-profile individuals (terrorist leaders, etc.) inside Afghanistan. UAVs avoid
potential diplomatic embarrassment when a manned aircraft is shot down and the pilots captured.
Defense against UAVs
The US armed forces have no defense against low-level drone attack, but the Joint Integrated Air
and Missile Defense Organization is working to repurpose existing systems. Two German
companies are developing 40-kW lasers to damage UAVs. Three British companies jointly
developed a system to track and disrupt UAV control mechanisms. Other systems still include

2. the OpenWorks Engineering Skywall and the Battelle DroneDefender.
Targets for military training
Since 1997, the US military has used more than 80 F-4 Phantoms converted into UAVs as aerial
targets for combat training of human pilots. The F-4s were supplemented in September 2013
with F-16s as more realistically maneuverable targets.
Civil
Civil uses include aerial crop surveys, aerial photograpy, search and rescue, inspection of power
lines and pipelines, counting wildlife delivering medical supplies to otherwise inaccessible
regions, and detection of illegal hunting, reconnaissance operations, cooperative environment
monitoring, border patrol missions, convoy protection, forest fire detection and monitoring,
surveillance, coordinating humanitarian aid, plume tracking, land surveying, fire and large-
accident investigation, landslide measurement, illegal landfill detection, the construction industry
and crowd monitoring.
US government agencies use UAVs such as the RQ-9 Reaper to patrol borders, scout property
and locate fugitives. One of the first authorized for domestic use was the ShadowHawk in
Montgomery County, Texas SWAT and emergency management offices.
Private citizens and media organizations use UAVs for surveillance, recreation, news-gathering,
or personal land assessment. In February 2012, an animal rights group used a MikroKopter
hexacopter to film hunters shooting pigeons in South Carolina. The hunters then shot the UAV
down. In 2014, a drone was used to successfully locate a man withdementia, who was missing
for 3 days.
Hobby and recreational use
Model aircraft (small UAS) have been flown by hobbyists since the earliest days of manned
flight. In the United States, hobby and recreational use of such sUAS is permitted (a) strictly for
hobby or recreational use; (b) when operated in accordance with a community-based set of safety
guidelines and nationwide community-based organizations; (c) when limited to not more than 55
pounds (with exceptions); (d)without interfering with and giving way to any manned aircraft;
and (e) within 5 miles of an airport only after notifying air traffic control. The Academy of
Model Aeronautics is a community based organization that maintains operational safety
guidelines with a long proven history of effectiveness and safety.
Commercial aerial surveillance
Aerial surveillance of large areas is possible with low-cost UAS. Surveillance applications
include livestock monitoring, wildfire mapping, pipeline security, home security, road patrol and
antipiracy. UAVs in commercial aerial surveillance is expanding with the advent of automated
object detection.[128]
Professional aerial surveying

3. UAS technologies are used worldwide as aerial photogrammetry and LiDAR platforms.
Commercial and motion picture filmmaking
For commercial drone camerawork inside the United States, industry sources state that usage
relies on the de facto consent – or benign neglect – of local law enforcement. Use of UAVs for
filmmaking is generally easier on large private lots or in rural and exurban areas with fewer
space constraints. In localities such as Los Angeles and New York, authorities have actively
interceded to shut down drone filmmaking over safety or terrorism concerns.
In June 2014, the FAA acknowledged that it had received a petition from the Motion Picture
Association of America seeking approval for the use of drones for aerial photography. Seven
companies behind the petition argued that low-cost drones could be used for shots that would
otherwise require a helicopter or a manned aircraft, saving money and reducing risk for pilot and
crew.[citation needed] Drones are already used by media in other parts of the world.
UAVs have been used to film sporting events, such as the 2014 Winter Olympics, as they have
greater freedom of movement than cable-mounted cameras.
Journalism
Journalists are interested in using drones for newsgathering. The College of Journalism and Mass
Communications at University of Nebraska-Lincoln established the Drone Journalism Lab.
University of Missouri created the Missouri Drone Journalism Program. The Professional
Society of Drone Journalists was established in 2011. Drones have covered disasters such as
typhoons. A coalition of 11 news organizations is working with the Mid-Atlantic Aviation
Partnership at Virginia Tech on how reporters could use unmanned aircraft to gather news.
Law enforcement
Many police departments in India have procured drones for law and order and aerial
surveillance.
In 2014, it was reported that five English police forces had obtained or operated UAVs for
observation. Merseyside police caught a car thief with a UAV in 2010, but the UAV was lost
during a subsequent training exercise and the police stated the UAV would not be replaced due
to operational limitations and the cost of staff training.
Search and rescue
UAVs were used in search and rescue after hurricanes struck Louisiana and Texas in 2008.
Predators, operating between 18,000 and 29,000 feet, performed search and rescue and damage
assessment. Payloads were an optical sensor and asynthetic aperture radar. The latter can
penetrate clouds, rain or fog and in daytime or nighttime conditions, all in real time. Photos taken
before and after the storm are compared and a computer highlights damage areas. Micro UAVs,
such as the Aeryon Scout, have been used to perform search and rescue activities on a smaller
scale, such as the search for missing persons.

4. UAVs have been tested as airborne lifeguards, locating distressed swimmers using thermal
cameras and dropping life preservers to swimmers.
Scientific research
UAVs are especially useful in accessing areas that are too dangerous for manned aircraft. The
U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration began using the Aerosonde unmanned
aircraft system in 2006 as a hurricane hunter. The 35-pound system can fly into a hurricane and
communicate near-real-time data directly to the National Hurricane Center. Beyond the standard
barometric pressure and temperature data typically culled from manned hurricane hunters, the
Aerosonde system provides measurements from closer to the water's surface than before. NASA
later began using theNorthrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk for hurricane measurements.
Conservation
In 2011, Lian Pin Koh and Serge Wich conceived the idea of using UAVs for conservation-
related applications, before coining the term 'Conservation Drone' in 2012.
By 2012 the International Anti-Poaching Foundation was using UAVs.
Anti-poaching
In June 2012, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) announced it would begin using UAVs in
Nepal to aid conservation efforts following a successful trial of two aircraft in Chitwan National
Park. The global wildlife organization planned to train ten personnel to use the UAVs, with
operational use beginning in the fall. In August 2012, UAVs were used by members of the Sea
Shepherd Conservation Society in Namibia to document the annual seal cull. In December 2013,
the Falcon UAV was selected by the Namibian Government and WWF to help combat
rhinocerous poaching. The drones will operate in Etosha National Park and will use implanted
RFID tags.
Pollution monitoring
Surveying
Oil, gas and mineral exploration and production
UAVs can be used to perform geophysical surveys, in particular geomagnetic surveys where
measurements of the Earth's varying magnetic field strength are used to calculate the nature of
the underlying magnetic rock structure. A knowledge of the underlying rock structure helps to
predict the location of mineral deposits. Oil and gas production entails the monitoring of the
integrity of oil and gas pipelines and related installations. For above-ground pipelines, this
monitoring activity can be performed using digital cameras mounted on UAVs.
Disaster relief
Drones can help in disaster relief by providing intelligence across an affected area.[181]
Archaeology
In Peru, archaeologists used drones to speed up survey work and protect sites from squatters,

5. builders and miners. Small drones helped researchers produce three-dimensional models of
Peruvian sites instead of the usual flat maps – and in days and weeks instead of months and
years.
Cargo transport
UAVs can transport medicines and medical specimens into and out of inaccessible regions. In
2013, in a research project of DHL, a small quantity of medicine was delivered via a UAV.
Agriculture
Japanese farmers have been using Yamaha's R-50 and RMAX unmanned helicopters to dust
their crops since 1987. Some farming initiatives in the U.S. use UAVs for crop spraying, as they
are often cheaper than a full-sized helicopter.
UAV are also now becoming an invaluable tool by farmers in other aspect of farming, such as
monitoring livestock, crops and water levels. NDVI images, generated with a near-IR sensor, can
provide detailed information on crop health, improving yield and reducing input cost.
Sophisticated UAV have also been used to create 3D images of the landscape to plan for future
expansions and upgrading.
Passenger transport
In January 2016, Ehang UAV announced drones capable of carrying passengers.
Criminal and terrorist
Some drones have been observed dropping contraband onto U.S. prisons.[201] The New York
City Police Department is concerns about drone attacks with chemical weapons, firearms, or
explosives; one drone nearly collided with an NYPD helicopter. Others have voiced concerns
about assassinations and attacks on nuclear power stations.
Uses already seen include:
· Surveilliance for ISIS in Iraq and Syria
· Landing radioactive material on the roof of the Japanese Prime Minister's office possibly
in protest of nuclear energy policy
· Incitement of a brawl when a drone flew a flag over a soccer stadium
· Invasion of Israeli airspace by Hezbollah