Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Magnuson, Stew. Term Paper

However, this article makes a counter argument against such a use. Instead, it argues that the greatest benefit of unmanned aerial vehicles will come from developing ones not fast and flashy, but instead slow and steady. Instead of remote missions from the United States, according to the article, the operations should be capable of loitering over the same spot for months. In this sense, the unmanned aerial vehicle will act as a low-orbit satellite, or surveillance drone capable of capturing important security information without endangering lives.

"UAVs next step to stem terrorism." USA Today. December, 2003.

This article examines the non-military uses of unmanned aerial vehicles. Its main focus is on the value that unmanned aerial vehicles have for protecting the United States homeland. According to the Deputy Homeland Security Secretary, it is believed that unmanned aerial vehicles will be a primary aid to the department's ongoing efforts to provide port and border security to the nation.

The article advocates the training of the Department of Homeland Security by the Department of Defense in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles. Accordingly, they could be used to fly along the country's southern border and at the same time allow the DHS to gain "some experience, some background, some hands on with the equipment."

In order to get the unmanned aerial vehicle to accomplish this security related, as opposed to defense related, mission, the overall conceptual design will have to be altered in order to allow the vehicles to stay in the air for extended periods of time.

Another non-defense area of use is what developer Aurora refers to as "far-out UAVs." They are currently developing the Mars Flyer with NASA for…