9. Micro and Stealth Drones
Drones, more properly known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) first caught the public’s attention when the U.S. military started releasing video footage from Predator UAVs attacking Al-Qaeda and Taliban targets with Hellfire missiles.
Predators and their larger cousins, Reapers, are essentially scaled-down, remotely piloted airplanes, but a whole new generation of smarter, smaller vehicles are being deployed or are on the drawing board. UAVs the size of large model airplanes used by the military for reconnaissance have been around for years, but the cutting edge designs can be as small as birds and even insects.
Imagine a UAV the size of a hummingbird or a dragonfly buzzing around an enemy position with tiny cameras and other sensors. Such a vehicle could get close enough, not only for surveillance, but to target individuals with advanced weapons.
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