Nobody onboard: while manned aircraft, helicopters and medium-to-large unmanned air vehicles can provide information on enemy activities in large open areas they are of lesser use to detect activities within the streets of a city. Best is to be able to fly within the streets.

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Nobody onboard: while manned aircraft, helicopters and medium-to-large unmanned air vehicles can provide information on enemy activities in large open areas they are of lesser use to detect activities within the streets of a city. Best is to be able to fly within the streets.

Small drones that can be easily carried by troops on patrol and launched to meet an immediate tactical need will thus play a growing role in urban operations. A number of such systems have entered service, or are about to do so.

One example is the Darpa-funded AV Wasp micro air vehicle, a small, quiet, portable and rugged unmanned air platform designed for front-line reconnaissance and surveillance over land or sea. The lithium-ion battery-powered Wasp is capable of flying in excess of one hour (it has demonstrated endurances of 107 minutes), with a speed range of 30 to 50 km/h (20 to 40 mph), and provides real-time imagery from relatively low altitudes. With only a 40.6-cm wingspan, weighing about 340 grams and fitting in a backpack, the Wasp serves as a reconnaissance platform for the company level and below by virtue...

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