Some are flown using remote control and some are fully autonomous, using an on-board computer to take off, fly, and land. Since that time, the primary use of UAVs has been to serve as aerial targets or drones to be shot down by military pilots and anti-aircraft gunners during training missions. Most recently, the U.S. military has flown UAVs in the form of cruise missiles and as reconnaissance planes used in Iraq and Kosovo. The UAV reconnaissance flights have helped avoid casualties among pilots. UAVs also fill an important and growing role in the civilian aviation industry.
Many jobs being performed by manned aircraft are dangerous, monotonous, or very expensive.
It has been estimated that over the past five years, on average, eight deaths have occurred annually in the geophysical survey industry, where pilots fly their instrumented aircraft over long routes, close to the ground, and over severe terrain. The Outrider's central processor is linked to various onboard avionics and flight sensors related to flying, navigating, and landing the aircraft, as well as operating its payload systems. The autopilot in a UAV has a challenging job. It must replace the functions a human pilot would normally perform, such as detecting and controlling aircraft attitude, speed, and position while observing the performance limits of the aircraft. The ground operator must be able to re-direct the aircraft at any time.