User:Gdeng2

Since the 1960s, the cumulative DoD investment in unmanned aviation exceeds $6 billion. Despite that investment a large fleet of UAVs does not exist. Equally notable is the lack of a robust set of operating procedures and tactics for optimizing the contribution of UAVs. The majority of UAV programs have been terminated due to technical problems or lack of acceptance as valid warfighting capabilities. Early unmanned aircraft offered no real advantages over manned aircraft other than not placing a pilot in harm's way. The 2001 Defense Authorization direction is likely to result in a $5 billion investment in the next few years in unmanned capabilities with a large portion of that applied to UAVs.

Work cited

Roberts, F. (2002, Spring). Unmanned aerial vehicles. Wings of Gold, 27, 6. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.mutex.gmu.edu/docview/199470645?accountid=14541