An Israeli Hermes 500 UAV flies over the Hatzerim air force base near Beersheva, Israel, during an air show at the graduation ceremony of Israeli pilots on June 30, 2011.
AFP/Getty Images
Military drones —
Israeli soldiers prepare to launch a Skylark drone during a drill on January 16, 2012 near Bat Shlomo, Israel. The Skylark can carry a camera payload of up to 1 kilogram, has an operational ceiling of 15,000 feet, and allows users to monitor any designated point within a 15-kilometer radius. The Skylark unit consists of a ground control element and three drones, which provide battalion-level commanders with real-time information.
Getty Images
Military drones —
An Israel Aerospace Industries UAV on display at the Singapore Airshow on February 15.
AFP/Getty Images
Military drones —
A U.S. Air Force MQ-1 Predator UAV assigned to the California Air National Guard's 163rd Reconnaissance Wing flies near the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, California, on January 7, 2012.
U.S. Airforce
Military drones —
A model of of the European "Neuron" UAV at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France in 2005. The UAV is an European Research project led by Dassault Aviation.
AFP/Getty Images
Military drones —
An MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) sits in a shelter at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, after a mission on November 10, 2008. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the Reaper can carry up to 3,750 pounds of laser-guided bombs and missiles.
U.S. Airforce
Military drones —
A British MQ-9 Reaper sits on a runway on March 17. Both British and American Reapers are deployed to Afghanistan.
U.S. Airforce
Military drones —
U.S. Marines perform operational checks on a Marine Squadron Two (VMU-2) UAV before a launch at Speed Bag Airfield, near Niland, California, on October 25, 2011.
U.S. Marine corps
Military drones —
An Iranian-made drone is displayed during the Army Day celebrations in Tehran on April 18, 2010.
AFP/Getty Images
Military drones —
A model of a surveillance drone built by Dassault Aviation and BAE Systems is displayed at the International Paris Air show in 2011.
AFP/Getty Images
Military drones —
Chinese visitors examine an unmanned helicopter drone at the China Aviation Expo in Beijing on September 21, 2011.
AFP/Getty Images
Military drones —
A model of China's "Dark Sword" UAV. According to Jane's Defense & Security Intelligence & Analysis, the drone remains only a model, but offers an example of where China may go with its drone technology.