Unmanned Aerial Systems

Description

An Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) has three components:

• An autonomous or human-operated control system which is usually on the ground or a ship but may be on another airborne platform;
• An Unmanned Aircraft (UA);
• A command and control (C2) system - sometimes referred to as a communication, command and control (C3) system - to link the two.

These systems include, but are not limited to, Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) in which the UA is controlled by a 'pilot' using a radio data link from a remote location. UAS can also include an autonomously controlled UA or, more likely, a semi autonomous UA. In recent years, the tendency to refer to any UA as a Drone has developed but the term is not universally considered appropriate. UAs can vary in size from those which can be hand launched to purpose built or adapted vehicles the size of conventional fixed or rotary wing aircraft.

For further informaiton read the entry article about Unmanned Aerial Systems.