Drones or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)?

In 1935, the Royal Air Force introduced the Queen Bee, the first returnable and reusable target plane employed for training missions. ‘Drone’ thus became an extension of Queen Bee’s metaphor. A number of terminologies are used in the context of UAS. Some of these include Unmanned Aircraft, Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Remotely Piloted Aircraft, Remotely Piloted Vehicles, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, which are a few of the names used to describe a flying machine operated without an onboard pilot and its associated systems. Although the terminology evolved over time as technology advanced, ‘Drone’ stubbornly maintained its dominant position, possibly due to the crispness of the term and its frequent use by journalists.

However, in recent years, ‘Drone’ found a challenger in the form of ‘Quad-copter,’ popularized by the ubiquitous DJI quad-copters at weddings and social events. For the public at large, Drones are equivalent to quad-copters or multi-copters. However, those associated with the unmanned systems will be well aware of the limitations of the multi-copters.

The US Department of Defense (DoD) describes the UAS as a "system whose components include the appropriate technology, network, and personnel to control an unmanned aircraft." As depicted in the figure, the UAS comprises various subsystems. A brief, simplistic description of the subsystems is as under: -

(a)     Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) - The UAV is the airborne component of the system.

(b)     Ground Control Station (GCS). The GCS provides the interface between the UAV and the rest of the system and effectively acts as the UAS's cockpit.

(c)      Launch and Recovery Station (LRS).  A dedicated LRS is usually applicable to the higher classes of military UAS. In smaller systems, GCS substitutes for the LRS during the aircraft's take-off and landing phases.

(d)     Datalink. Communication between the UAV and the GCS is established through the datalink.

(e)     Payload. The payload provides the output from the system, and the type of payload to be employed depends on the intended applications or the mission objectives.

(f)       Human Interface. Although the aircraft is unmanned, the UAS has its ‘cockpit’ on the ground, which is manned, hence the human interface.

(g)     Technical Support System. Systems for technical support may be active or passive. The systems that are directly linked to each sortie are active systems. Although the passive systems are not directly connected to the sorties, they are necessary for UAS operations.

Each of the above subsystems is a critical element of the UAS. The overall system's collective capabilities and constraints are determined by the capabilities and constraints of each individual subsystem. Therefore, ‘Drone’ is possibly not the best choice to represent the contemporary unmanned system because of its silence on the entire spectrum of the system. UAS, on the other hand, integrates all the subsystems under one umbrella.

Drones or UAS? Take your pick.