page_title: History of unmanned aerial vehicles
section_title: World War II
hierarchical_section_title: History of unmanned aerial vehicles / World War II
caption_attribution_description: A U.S. Navy TDD target drone falling in flames, after being shot down by the escort carrier USS Makin Island (CVE-93) during gunnery practice off Wakanoura, Japan, 1 October 1945. Note that much of the drone's covering has burned away, exposing internal structure.
context_page_description: UAVs include both autonomous drones and remotely piloted vehicles. A UAV is capable of controlled, sustained level flight and is powered by a jet, reciprocating, or electric engine. In the twenty first century technology reached a point of sophistication that the UAV is now being given a greatly expanded role in many areas of aviation.
  A UAV differs from a cruise missile in that a UAV is intended to be recovered after its mission, while a cruise missile impacts its target. A military UAV may carry and fire munitions on board, while a cruise missile is a munition.
caption: A US Navy OQ-2 shot down by the USS Makin Island during a gunnery exercise off Wakanoura, Japan (October 1945)
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