Tactical UAS

Tactical UAS manufacturers and suppliers of military Unmanned Aerial Systems for defense applications, including RPAS, UCAVs & combat drones for Army, Navy & Marines
Overview Tactical UAS
By Dr Thomas Withington Last updated: June 3rd, 2025

Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems

Flexrotor Group 2 Tactical UAS

Flexrotor Group 2 Tactical UAS

Military drones and UAS (unmanned aerial systems), also referred to as RPAS (remotely piloted aircraft systems) or UCAVs (unmanned combat air vehicles), are deployed by armies, navies and combat forces for a variety of different applications. The use of unmanned aircraft systems provides a number of advantages for battlefield roles, including reduced risk to personnel and lower operating costs.

All major types of UAS platform have been deployed for military use, including fixed-wing, multirotor and unmanned helicopters. Armed forces may categorize them in a number of ways, and the U.S. Department of Defense classifies military UAS in five groups according to weight and operating altitude, with Group 5 being the heaviest and highest-flying.

S20 Mini Tactical Reconnaissance Drone by Plymouth Rock

S20 Mini Tactical Reconnaissance Drone by Plymouth Rock

Examples of each group include:

  • Group 1: RQ-11 Raven, RQ-20 Puma
  • Group 2: Insitu ScanEagle
  • Group 3: RQ-7B Shadow, RQ-21 Blackjack
  • Group 4: MQ-8B Fire Scout, MQ-1A/B Predator
  • Group 5: MQ-9 Reaper, RQ-4 Global Hawk

LOS & BVLOS Communications

Military drones may operate LOS (line-of-sight) or BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) according to their capabilities and the needs of the mission. Small UAS (sUAS) may be controlled and communicated with via RF (radio frequency), while larger unmanned aerial vehicles may utilize satellite communications (SATCOM), allowing them to be operated from almost anywhere in the world.

Combat Drones

Unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs) may be equipped with a range of munitions for undertaking strike operations, such as bombs and air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles. Regulations state that these must be deployed with an operator in the loop, and not autonomously.

VTOL UAS by Steadicopter with precise strike capabilities

VTOL UAS by Steadicopter with precise strike capabilities

Payloads

Tactical UAS may also carry a variety of payloads that enable them to carry out ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance targeting and reconnaissance) missions that provide commanders with real-time situational awareness. These payloads include electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) imaging systems, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and electronic warfare (EW) sensors.

Military UAVs have also been created to carry out other tasks, including air-to-air refueling, medical evacuation, and launching smaller drones.

 

Products (21)

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Aerosonde® Mk. 4.7 Fixed-Wing UAS

Fixed-wing unmanned aircraft with flexible multi-payload capabilities

Fixed-wing unmanned aircraft with flexible multi-payload capabilities
...4.7 Fixed-Wing UAS is an ultra-reliable and field-proven unmanned aircraft designed to withstand...
Aerosonde® Mk. 4.8 Fixed Wing UAS

Fixed-wing unmanned aircraft with upgraded payload capacity and performance

Fixed-wing unmanned aircraft with upgraded payload capacity and performance
...4.8 Fixed-Wing UAS is an ultra-reliable and field-proven unmanned aircraft that offers enhanced...
Aerosonde® Mk. 4.8 VTOL UAS

Runway-independent tactical VTOL UAS for expeditionary reconnaissance

Runway-independent tactical VTOL UAS for expeditionary reconnaissance
...� Mk. 4.8 VTOL UAS delivers vertical takeoff and landing capability through advanced Hybrid... ...e Mk. 4.8 VTOL UAS supports rapid payload integration, multi-band datalink communications (L, S, C,...
Aerosonde® Mk. 4.7 VTOL UAS

Hybrid quadrotor unmanned aircraft for runway-independent multi-mission operation

Hybrid quadrotor unmanned aircraft for runway-independent multi-mission operation
...� Mk. 4.7 VTOL UAS is an ultra-reliable and field-proven unmanned aircraft designed to withstand...
LIZARD 800 UAV

Long-endurance helicopter UAV with up to 74 minutes of flight time

Long-endurance helicopter UAV with up to 74 minutes of flight time
The LIZARD 800 is an advanced unmanned helicopter platform that has been optimized for range and end...
LIZARD 1000 UAV

Heavy-payload unmanned helicopter with up to 20 kg lift capacity

Heavy-payload unmanned helicopter with up to 20 kg lift capacity
...ift helicopter UAV platform that is capable of carrying up to 20 kg of payload. It is ideal for...
Talon DT-300

Multi-role VTOL UAV with 45 kg payload capacity

Multi-role VTOL UAV with 45 kg payload capacity
... electric VTOL UAS that is ideal for a variety of critical military and government missions,...
Talon DT-150

Rugged ultra-compact Group 2 unmanned helicopter with 22.5kg payload capacity

Rugged ultra-compact Group 2 unmanned helicopter with 22.5kg payload capacity
...p 2 helicopter UAS platform designed as a smaller counterpart to the DT-300 and featuring very low...
Talon DT-300X

Hybrid electric helicopter UAV for long-range ISTAR, logistics resupply and strike missions

Hybrid electric helicopter UAV for long-range ISTAR, logistics resupply and strike missions
The Talon DT-300X is a hybrid version of the DT-300, featuring Rotron’s hydrocarbon-fuelled RT150 ...
AM-FPV

Multi-Role FPV Drone for Contested Military Operations

Multi-Role FPV Drone for Contested Military Operations
...ssion-flexible drone platform engineered for high-threat and congested operational theaters....
Teal 2

Compact Blue UAS-approved quadcopter with FLIR EO/IR payload

Compact Blue UAS-approved quadcopter with FLIR EO/IR payload
...de quadcopter sUAS that is featured on the U.S. Department of Defense DIU Blue UAS list. Optimized... ...econfigure the UAS in the field. Tal 2 is fully encrypted via the AES-256 standard, ensuring that...
Black Widowâ„¢ sUAS

Short-range ISR platform for contested environments & electronic warfare

Short-range ISR platform for contested environments & electronic warfare
...ge multirotor sUAS designed to support a variety of tactical defense and government requirements,... ... also the only UAS in its class that allows field repairability for motor arms and propellers as...
Edge 130 Blue

Blue UAS-approved hybrid VTOL drone for medium-range reconnaissance

Blue UAS-approved hybrid VTOL drone for medium-range reconnaissance
...VTOL tricopter drone designed specifically for medium-range mapping and ISR missions. With a small... ...swappable Blue UAS-approved payloads, including a dual-channel Overwatch EO/IR gimbal and a...
Dagger 2.0 UAV

2 meter-wingspan UAV for ISR & cargo delivery

2 meter-wingspan UAV for ISR & cargo delivery
...2.0 fixed-wing UAV features an aerodynamically efficient low-drag canard design for optimal... ...o a variety of tactical and BVLOS missions. It is easy to deploy and operate, and can be...
Dagger 2.7 UAV

2.7 meter-wingspan UAV for ISR & cargo delivery

2.7 meter-wingspan UAV for ISR & cargo delivery
...2.7 fixed-wing UAV features an aerodynamically efficient low-drag canard design for optimal... ...o a variety of tactical and BVLOS missions. It is easy to deploy and operate, and can be...
Sword 3.0 UAV

3 meter-wingspan twin-wing UAV for long-range surveillance

3 meter-wingspan twin-wing UAV for long-range surveillance
...ced fixed-wing UAV with an efficient twin-wing design, featuring a low magnetic signature for... ...o a variety of tactical and BVLOS missions. It is easy to deploy and operate, and can be...
Sword 4.0 UAV

4 meter-wingspan twin-wing UAV for long-range surveillance

4 meter-wingspan twin-wing UAV for long-range surveillance
...ced fixed-wing UAV with an efficient twin-wing design, featuring a low magnetic signature for... ...o a variety of tactical and BVLOS missions. It is easy to deploy and operate, and can be...
Sensus L

Modular heavy-lift multirotor drone with 25 kg capacity

Modular heavy-lift multirotor drone with 25 kg capacity
...ged heavy-lift UAV featuring a modular design and a unique universal interface that can accept a...
Sensus M4E-FW 35

Long-endurance hybrid VTOL UAV for wide-area surveillance

Long-endurance hybrid VTOL UAV for wide-area surveillance
...TOL fixed-wing UAS with a lightweight carbon fiber construction and highly efficient power plant and...
Sensus M

VTOL multirotor drone with versatile payload capabilities

VTOL multirotor drone with versatile payload capabilities
...ile quadcopter drone platform that can be equipped to undertake a wide variety of critical military...
SKIRON-X Unmanned Aircraft System

Long-endurance Group 2 eVTOL UAS optimized for ISR

Long-endurance Group 2 eVTOL UAS optimized for ISR
...X is a Group 2 UAS that combines the maneuverability and low operational footprint of eVTOL drones...

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