December 4, 2024 By Jeff Shepard

Collected at: https://www.eeworldonline.com/whats-the-difference-between-uas-uav-rpa-and-autonomous-drones/

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) refers to the entire system (ground equipment like controllers plus the aerial platform), and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) refers only to the aerial platform. Remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) can be used interchangeably with UAVs and is commonly used in Europe. Autonomous drones use sensors and AI/ML to operate independently to complete a mission.

But there’s a little more to it. This article examines UAV classifications based on the rotor and fixed-wing configurations and several other approaches, then considers the differences between commercial and military platforms.

Wings and rotors

Wings and rotors are visible physical characteristics and include (Figure 1):

  • Fixed Wing UAVs look like conventional airplanes.
  • Single Rotor UAVs look like helicopters.
  • Multi-rotor UAVs have several rotors surrounding the main body; common designs range from three to eight rotors.
  • Fixed-wing hybrid UAVs have rotors that enable vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) operation.
UAS
Figure 1. There are numerous UAV classifications based on the airframe design. (Image: ResearchGate)

UAVs can also be classified by weight, altitude, and range capabilities. Exemplary categories include:

Weight categories

    • Nano: UAVs with a weight of less than 250 g
    • Micro: UAVs with weight over 250 g and under 2 kg
    • Small: UAVs with weight over 2 kg and under 25 kg
    • Medium: UAVs with weight over 25 kg and under 150 kg
    • Large: UAVs with a weight over 150 kg

Altitude and range categories

    • Hand-held can fly at altitudes up to 600 m and have a range under 2 km.
    • Close has an altitude of up to 1,500 m and ranges under 10 km.
    • Tactical has an altitude of up to 5,500 m and a range of under 160 km.
    • Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) has an altitude of up to 9,000 m and an endurance of 24 to 48 hours.
    • High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) has an altitude over 9,000 m and an indefinite range.
    • Hypersonic is an emerging category with an altitude of up to 15,000 m and a range greater than 200 km.

NATO categorizes UAS into three classes based on their size and capabilities:

Class I UAS are nano, micro, and small UAS that are typically portable, hand-launched, and operated by a single controller. They have a range of  under 30 km and an endurance of up to two hours.

Class II are medium-sized tactical systems with a maximum altitude of about 3,000 m and a mission radius of 200 km.

Class III are MALE and HALE UAS. Fixed wing class III UAS require runways for takeoff and recovery. Class III UAS have more complex control and management needs.

Commercial UAVs

Commercial UAVs are designed for surveys such as surveying, mapping, infrastructure inspection, and aerial photography. They usually have more advanced features than consumer m, like global position systems (GPS), inertial measurement units (IMUs) for stability control and navigation, avigation, and advanced control software that allows them toheir position and altitude without intervention from a human controller.

They also have longer flight durations, greater payload capacities, and more robust systems than consumer designs. Commercial UAVs and drones are often required to include remote identification capabilities to ensure safe operation in shared airspaces.

Like commercial UAVs, the overall UAS is more capable in a commercial setting than a consumer implementation. Commercial UAS can include complex command centers and multiple displays.

Commercial UAVs can include sophisticated payloads like hyperspectral cameras, electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) sensor packages, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems, etcn. Some designs are dual-use and suited for military as wendmercial applications (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Dual-use commercial/military drone carrying an HD camera payload. (Image: Inspired Flight)

Military UAVs

UAVs optimized for military use are often larger and heavier than commercial designs. They can carry out missions like manned aircraft, but they are smaller than the manned equivalent. Dual-use drones are generally used for short-range reconnaissan,ce, while military designs are intended for high endurance and combat missions.

Commercial UAVs are usually operated within sight of the operator. Military drones, on the other hand, are designed for stealth and can be miles away from the operator. They can deliver ordnance or mark targets for larger aircraft.

Communication is a critical aspect of military drones. They need to be hardened to withstand GPS and communication jamming and use encryption techniques when sending data to the ground station. Military systems often include sophisticated AI/ML navigation software for autonomous operation.

Summary

UAVs and drones come in a wide array of designs optimized for specific missions. y are available in a variety of fixed-es and can be small and weigh under 250g. Large systems weigh well over 150 kg and can have nearly unlimited endurance for long-range missions.

References

A Compr-hensive Review of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Attacks and Neutralization Techniques, ResearchGate
The Differences Between UAV, UAS, and Autonomous Drones, Percepto
UAS vs. UAV: What’s the difference?, Inspired Flight
What Are Military Drones?, Aero Sentinel
What is the difference between UAV, UAS, and uncrewed drone technology?, Darling Geomatics

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