In the ever-changing world, technologies play an important part in shaping the operations in various industries. Constant innovations in technologies also play an important role in helping the market grow at a faster pace. New technologies help solve the problems associated with traditional systems. The problems associated with aircraft operations, including the lack of pilots, high maintenance and operational costs, and the need for specialized infrastructure have led to the development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) that can tackle such problems. UAVs were developed to keep the military pilots out of dangerous missions, but with the development of small drones, that soon entered into the commercial market, are finding use in many different applications. An analysis by MarketsandMarkets indicates that the UAV industry is expected to reach USD 52.30 billion by 2025.

UAVs exhibit high efficiency and potential for low altitude flights. They are increasingly being utilized in military applications as well to perform various tasks in hostile territories. They are used during conflicts as well as in peaceful times to mitigate the risks to the lives of pilots and to enhance the aeronautical capabilities of defense forces. Military drones are widely accepted by the defense sector worldwide, owing to their lower operational costs in comparison to manned aircraft and the benefits offered by them. UAVs have paved their way in various applications such as photography, surveillance, precision agriculture, remote sensing, aerial inspection, battle damage management, delivery services, construction, search & rescue, wildlife preservation, 2D & 3D mapping, hurricane hunting, etc. Growing use of various disruptive technologies in modern warfare has led to an increased demand for strategic and special purpose drones in military applications. Several countries worldwide are undertaking R&D programs to explore and augment the applications of UAVs.

Trending Applications of Drones

Precision Agriculture

The growing population worldwide has led to an increase in the demand for agriculture output. The latest technologies are being adopted by the agriculture industry to meet this demand. UAVs are playing a significant role in optimizing agriculture operations. They can be helpful for various agricultural activities such as crop health monitoring, crop management, spraying pesticides, and crop counting. Conventional methods include the use of an aircraft for the activities. With the introduction of low-cost drones with advanced capabilities, the agricultural activities are done cost-effectively.

Search & Rescue (SAR)

One of the prime applications for UAVs is Search & Rescue (SAR), where they play a lifesaving role. The delay caused by conventional methods in providing necessary aid to victims is a key factor that has led to the adoption of UAVs for SAR missions. Heavy investments are being made by various countries for minimizing the response time to save the maximum number of lives. Gathering first level assessment by UAVs is one of the key steps in SAR missions that help in calculating the damage that occurred and identifying the most vulnerable areas to operate on. UAVs can be used for additional applications such as supplying medicines to victims or supplying emergency kits to first responders in inaccessible or hazardous areas, such as a building on fire. They can even help in deploying inflatable water tubes near coastal areas.

Wildlife Study & Preservation

UAVs are used in wildlife study & preservation application to monitor the wildlife without disturbing the animals. The use of UAVs in wildlife sanctuaries is increasing because they are simple to use and can cover a vast area in a short period of time. This helps wildlife activists keep track of species that are on the verge of extinction.

2D & 3D Mapping

UAVs are increasingly being adopted by the construction and real estate industry for terrain mapping. UAVs are equipped with advance payloads which help create 2D or 3D models of construction sites or properties that was conventionally conducted by a satellite image or an aircraft.

Hurricane Hunting

Hurricanes cause a huge loss to human and animal lives as well as the environment. To minimize these losses, weather forecasting services have to provide accurate and reliable data on hurricanes. Drones can play a significant role in weather forecasting by using advanced sensors to study storms and providing valuable data needed for weather forecasting without risking human lives. In July 2013, Northrop Grumman and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) teamed for a USD 30 million research program to study the evolution of storms using long-range UAVs.

Battle Damage Management

Changing modern warfare techniques require conducting critical missions in populated areas using military drones. Moreover, the availability of advanced navigation as well as satellite communication technologies has led to highly viable remote operations being conducted by these drones. Military drones can reduce collateral damage while hovering, searching, and identifying targets, which makes them an invaluable asset to the military. Military drones have the capability to perform reconnaissance, monitoring, surveillance, and communication operations. R&D programs are being conducted across the globe to enhance the technological capabilities of military drones. However, due to technical limitations, researchers find it challenging to deploy specially designed weapons systems on these drones.

US-based AeroVironment has developed a small drone named Switchblade, which can be launched into the air through a tube. It carries a small warhead that explodes on impact. The company received funding of USD 4.9 million from DARPA in 2011 and USD 5.1 million from the US Army in 2012 to develop this small drone.

Drone Delivery

New applications of drones in military operations are being discovered. One of these involves the delivery of cargo. Drones can be used to resupply soldiers on the battlefield. The idea of cargo delivery in the military via drones was taken from the commercial sector where drones are being used to deliver products to customers by companies such as Amazon.

Currently, a major portion of military supplies is transported through road convoys, which take similar routes, thus making them vulnerable to enemy attacks. Drones, on the other hand, take the aerial route which can also be changed to minimize the risks of attack. Drones also eliminate the risk to personnel who would be otherwise involved in the transportation of supplies in high-risk areas. Apart from being safer, deliveries using drones will also be much faster as compared to the traditional road convoys. These drones can be programmed to deliver cargo to a specified location without being controlled by any remote pilot.

The first military cargo delivery using drones was carried out by the US Marine Corps, in which an unmanned K-MAX helicopter was used to deliver 2 million kilograms of supplies to soldiers in Afghanistan. Although this cargo delivery was successful, drone services for cargo delivery have not been implemented fully in the defense sector. Researchers are, however, continuing their focus on developing drones that can deliver supplies to soldiers wherever they may be located. For instance, the US military is trying to develop a drone called the Joint Tactical Aerial Resupply Vehicle (JTARV) for resupplying soldiers on the battlefield. This JTARV is being compared to the drones used by Amazon for product delivery.

Top Companies Operating in the UAV Ecosystem

Sr. No. Company Name Headquarters Products/Services 1. DJI Innovations China Drones 2. Parrot SA France Drones 3. YUNEEC China Drones 4. Airware US Drone Analytics/Services 5. DroneDeploy US Drone Analytics 6. Delta Drone France Drone Analytics 7. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. US Drones 8. Northrop Grumman Corporation US Drones 9. Lockheed Martin Corporation US Drones 10. CAE Inc. Canada Drone Simulators 11. Israel Aerospace Industries Israel Drone Simulators 12. AEgis Technologies US Drone Simulators 13. Precision Hawk US Drone Software 14. 3D Robotics US Drone Software 15. Pix4D Switzerland Drone Software

The top companies of the UAV ecosystem are listed above. These comprise UAV manufacturers to UAV software providers and service providers. Increasing adoption of UAVs in civil and military applications is the most significant factor expected to drive the growth of the UAV market. Other factors that are expected to contribute to the growth of the UAV market include the development of sense and avoid technology and improvements in flight control systems. Although the UAV market is growing at a fast pace, factors such as strict regulations by different countries on the use of drones are negatively impacting the UAV market growth.