Unmanned aerial vehicles have a longer history than most realize. The technology dates back to 1849, when Austria (quite ineffectively) launched a 200-unit fleet of pilotless, explosive-laden balloons over Venice, marking the first known military use of drones — decades before the Wright brothers’ first flight.
Since then, drones have evolved from rudimentary weapons to essential tools for both military and civilian operations. In the field, UAVs fly into harm’s way to pull off high-stakes missions; at home, they keep things moving on farms and speed up emergency aid at disaster sites. But what really makes these pilotless aircraft powerful is the entire unmanned aerial system: drone hardware, control stations and data links working together to accomplish missions that would otherwise be too laborious, dangerous or entirely impossible.
Unmanned Aerial System Definition
An Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) is the complete technological framework that enables an aircraft to operate without a pilot onboard. It consists of three key parts working in tandem:
- the aircraft, or UAV
- a ground or onboard control interface that handles navigation and mission execution
- a wireless command-and-control link that sends instructions and receives information during flight
While “UAV” and “drone” refer to the flying hardware, a UAS includes the drone, the control systems and connectivity that make flight possible.
What Are Unmanned Aerial Systems?
Unmanned aerial systems, or UAS, refer to the complete setup that makes it possible to fly an aircraft without a pilot onboard. This typically consists of three parts: the drone or unmanned aerial vehicle itself, a control station — which might be on the ground, in the air or at sea — and the radio- or satellite-based communication links that send flight commands and stream real-time data between the two. While the term “drone” often gets used broadly, it technically refers only to the aircraft — not the full system. A UAS, on the other hand, includes all the supporting components that make autonomous or remote flight possible.
Some systems are designed to be flown remotely by a human pilot, while others operate autonomously using pre-programmed instructions. Depending on their application, they’re often equipped with mission-specific tools like cameras, sensors or cargo bays, allowing them to handle everything from surveillance and mapping to deliveries and emergency response.
Today’s UAS tech is getting smarter. Some can fly in coordinated swarms, navigate using AI or recognize objects in real time. Many can also operate beyond the pilot’s line of sight using satellite links, and some are even connected to edge computing systems and mesh networks that help them process data and make decisions on the fly.
Use Cases for Unmanned Aerial Systems
Here are some of the most common applications featuring UAS tech today.
Military Intelligence
Like most cutting-edge technologies, UAS innovation is being driven behind closed doors within the defense sector. Specifically, the tech is used for real-time reconnaissance, conducting surveillance and identifying targets without risking pilots’ lives. Military-grade systems can operate autonomously, at high altitudes for strategic observation or at low altitudes for tactical missions, often staying airborne for hours or even days. For example, Airbus’ Zephyr, a solar-powered UAS, holds the record for longest uncrewed flight, staying aloft for nearly 26 days during its maiden voyage.
Precision Agriculture
Drones equipped with multispectral and thermal sensors help monitor crop health, detect irrigation issues and track crop growth over time. This data enables farmers to apply fertilizers and spray pesticides more efficiently, boosting yields while also cutting costs and minimizing environmental impact.
Infrastructure Inspection
UAS are commonly used to inspect hard-to-reach infrastructure like power lines, pipelines, bridges and wind turbines. These systems reduce the need for scaffolding or helicopter flyovers and improve worker safety by limiting the time spent in hazardous conditions.
Disaster Response
Following a natural disaster, UAS can quickly assess damage, locate survivors, map hazardous terrain and deliver emergency supplies to inaccessible areas. Firefighters also use drones to map active wildfires, detect flare-ups and coordinate response strategies from a safer vantage point.
Logistics
Companies like Amazon, UPS and Zipline are piloting or deploying drone fleets to deliver goods and medical supplies, especially in remote or underserved regions. The benefit of having a UAS is reduced delivery times, lower transportation costs and uninterrupted access during emergent scenarios or infrastructure failures.
Law Enforcement
Police and emergency responders use drones for crowd monitoring, accident scene analysis and active search-and-rescue operations. Live, birds-eye-view feeds can help improve situational awareness, reduce response times and document evidence with less human labor.
Environmental Monitoring
Drones play a key role in monitoring wildlife, tracking deforestation, observing melting glaciers and collecting atmospheric data. Their ability to fly low and access remote areas makes them especially valuable for ongoing climate and conservation research, like the SnotBot program, which collects whale blow samples in remote ocean regions, or tracking efforts in Madagascar’s rainforests, where thermal-imaging drones help locate endangered lemurs under dense canopy cover.
Top Unmanned Aerial Systems Companies
As unmanned aerial systems become more capable, these companies are setting the standard for how drones — mostly military-grade models — are being built, operated and deployed at scale.
General Atomics
General Atomics is best known for the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper — armed drones built for long missions and used extensively by the U.S. and its allies. The MQ-9 was the first of its kind designed for both high-altitude surveillance and precision strikes. Today, its systems play a central role in counterterrorism operations, border security and ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) missions across the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe.
Northrop Grumman
The RQ-4 Global Hawk, a high-altitude surveillance drone, anchors Northrop Grumman’s UAS portfolio. Capable of flying for over 30 hours at 60,000 feet, the porpoise-headed UAV provides persistent, wide-area intelligence for strategic decision-making. Deployed in places like the Middle East and Indo-Pacific regions, it supports missions ranging from battlefield reconnaissance to humanitarian response.
DJI
Shenzhen-based company DJI dominates the consumer and commercial drone markets, holding more than 70 percent of global market share. Its Phantom and Mavic lines have become industry standards for aerial photography, inspections and public safety applications. DJI’s drones are also widely used in agriculture, construction and emergency response.
AeroVironment
AeroVironment produces the Puma, Raven and Switchblade — small tactical drones favored by frontline forces for portability and ease of deployment. The Switchblade 300, often described as a “kamikaze drone,” combines loitering surveillance with precision-strike capabilities in a single lightweight package. Its systems are used by the U.S. and NATO forces for rapid-response reconnaissance and targeting.
Elbit Systems
Headquartered in Israel, Elbit Systems manufactures the Hermes series and other long-range UAS designed for both surveillance and combat. The Hermes 900, used in military and civilian operations, has supported missions ranging from border patrol to disaster relief. Equipped with satellite comms and multisensor payloads, Elbit’s UAS platforms are widely exported across Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an unmanned aerial system?
An unmanned aerial system, or UAS, refers to the full setup that enables a drone to fly without a pilot onboard — including the aircraft itself, a remote (or sometimes autonomous) control station and the communication links between them.
What is the difference between a UAV and a UAS?
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) only refers to the drone itself, while an unmanned aerial system (UAS) includes the aircraft as well as the entire control station and communication components needed to operate it.
