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UAVs in the military are classified according to their speed, range, weight & on the basis of their special capabilities. In general, drones tend to come in different shapes and sizes depending on the type of functions they serve and because military drones are top-class military tech as shown in Figure 1.4.

Figure 1.4 V-22 osprey military helicopter [36].

Therefore, it is quite interesting to examine them and their various types. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) troops have different classification of drones which is as shown below [10, 16]:

(i) CLASS-I (<150 kg): Mini, small or micro drones There are various types of class-I drone which are used to execute many informational, Communicational, command, control, and computerized solutions. These types of drones are of immense importance as they provide ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance). It also includes micro, mini, or small drones. Also, Flapping wing platform types drones are used here also called “Ornithopter”.

(ii) CLASS-II (150–600 kg): Tactical drones Tactical Unmanned aircraft (UA) or drones are designed explicitly to be used in Special Forces or at the battalion level. These types of UAVs have greater advantages for medium-range surveillance. They fill the space between the range of the function of the short-range micro & strategic UAVs, which is comprised of HALE (High-Altitude Long Endurance) & MALE [11] (medium-altitude Long Endurance). They have a combination of flexibility, ruggedness as well as endurance. They offer an intermediate function between that of small and strategic drones as shown in Figure 1.5. They are used in awareness and situational-analysis to offer surveillance and protection, target acquisition, and also in the evaluation of damage based on a particular given force. E.g. MQ-9 Reaper (Predator B)—Tactical Drone.

Figure 1.5 RQ-11B Raven Small UAS (SUAS) [3, 37].

One of the most polished and elegant tactical ISTAR system around the world is Watchkeeper which is developed by Thales and it is the largest UAS program in the whole of Europe and it is one of the largest UAVs in Europe which is authorized to fly even in civilian airspace including urban areas.

(iii) CLASS-III (>600 kg): Strategic Drones

This class of drones comprises of MALE and HALE systems. MALE is good for reconnaissance as well as surveillance in a non-threatening area. They have a tremendous range of application, which includes determining the movement of a certain population which are not in conflict or position of the enemy. They have state of the art infrastructure & technology and are also used to accumulate the lists of targets.

Some globally acclaimed MALEs are Reaper/Predator, Anka, and Heron family of drones. Some of the few HALEs available right now are the global hawk family & triton [12].