In the aerospace context, UAV stands for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. It refers to aircraft that are operated without a human pilot on board.
UAVs can be controlled remotely by a ground-based operator or fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans.
Examples of UAVs include:
- Military drones, such as the MQ-9 Reaper, which are used for reconnaissance and airstrikes
- Surveillance drones, such as the DJI Phantom, which are used for aerial photography and videography
- Agricultural drones, such as the DJI Agras, which are used for crop spraying and monitoring crop growth
- Delivery drones, such as the Amazon Prime Air, which are used for package delivery
- Search and rescue drones, such as the DJI Matrice, which are used for search and rescue missions.