Forecast: Major Boosts In UAV, Ground Systems

Elbit Systems forecasters say that within three to four years, at least one-fourth to one-third of all combat missions will be flown by unmanned aircraft. And a few years after that, unmanned ground vehicles will also begin to flood the market and the battlefield, they predict. Indeed, growing unmanned-ground business will bring with it an expected double-digit growth for the next decade, says Steven Roser, Elbit's vice president of marketing for the United States. The UAV capabilities most in demand are for greater numbers of aircraft (to expand the operational footprint), longer endurance (to service more targets), a larger variety of payloads (for a wider range of missions), quiet propulsion for stealthy operations and operational altitudes below 30,000 feet that are less harsh and demanding on payloads and weapons, says... [read full story]