One million combat flight hours flown by US Army unmanned aircraft
The US Army's unmanned aircraft fleet surpassed the 1 million combat flight hours mark on 27 October 2010. Earlier in 2010, the Army's unmanned aircraft fleet achieved a historic milestone of 1 million flight hours, of which roughly 89 percent of those hours flown were "combat flight hours" or approximately 884,000 hours. Since that date the Army's unmanned aircraft have continued to provide unwavering support to the Warfighter. Most notable, of all Army unmanned aircraft, is the Shadow accounting for approximately 505,000 combat flight hours, in direct support of OEF/OIF/OND.
The most untradeable aspect on the battlefield in terms of Army unmanned aircraft is persistence and endurance that you don't have with manned aircraft.
Source: US Army
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
Jammer resistant drone designs spark search for countermeasures
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has driven another stage of evolution for drones and the counter measures to defend against them.
-
L3Harris launches Amorphous software for control of uncrewed platforms
The new Amorphous software is a universal controller that would allow a single operator to control a swarm of “thousands” of uncrewed systems, from drones to underwater platforms.
-
ideaForge unveils new UAVs at Aero India 2025
India UAV supplier ideaForge has launched the Netra 5 and Switch V2 drones at Aero India 2025, boasting of enhanced endurance, AI-driven autonomy and improved operational capabilities.
-
Shaping the future of defence: What 2025 holds for the global drone market
The UAV market is experiencing unprecedented growth, with innovations in technology and battlefield applications driving demand across military sectors. From the battlefields of Ukraine to NATO exercises and beyond, drones are transforming how wars are fought and supported.
-
Maris-Tech confirms customers signing up for Jupiter Drones codec and AI-powered system
Launched at AUSA in October, the company’s multi-stream video codec is attempting to bring a new lease of life to drone technology through its AI accelerator.
-
AUSA 2024: Quantum-Systems targets big 2025 with UAS developments
Quantum-Systems has been upgrading its UAS family, with new versions of the Vector, Reliant and Twister drones set for release throughout 2025.