Drones
An illustrated guide to the unmanned aircraft that are filling our skies

Drones are found in the airspace throughout the world and are more popular now than ever before. We see them in the newspaper, on the TV, in films, at sporting events, and soon, they might be delivering our shopping.

One of the most significant developments in contemporary warfare is the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones as they are more commonly known. Drones can fly autonomously or be controlled by remote control – their deployment is transforming the way wars are fought across the globe. Drones are not only used for fighting wars but for a wide-range of daily tasks such as photography, mapping, policing, delivery, search and rescue, meteorology and many more.

Drones explores the history behind unmanned aircraft, it explains how they work and features the most well-known military and civilian drones in action today. From the armed and deadly MQ-9 Reaper, the long endurance RQ-4 Global Hawk to the small hand-launched Cropcam and the Remus autonomous underwater vehicle. Illustrated with 200 color photographs and artworks Drones is an exciting, accessibly written narrative about the latest in military and civilian aviation technology.

Martin J. Dougherty is a freelance writer and editor specializing in military and defence topics. His published works deal with subjects ranging from naval weapons systems and precision-guided weapons to personal security. He is an expert on asymmetric and non- conventional warfare and has addressed several international conferences on these subjects.