Drone technology is changing combat in major ways, and that includes how high they can fly since there’s no human piloting them. How high up can they go?
The United States armed forces have been gradually transitioning from traditional manned vehicles like jets to drones, otherwise known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), reducing the amount of risk in combat missions. When a drone is shot out of the air, there’s no risk to life, which is rather ideal. Engaging with enemy units isn’t the only mission drones undertake, however. They’re also used for reconnaissance missions, gathering information via onboard cameras on rivals and transmitting it back to base. When the military chooses a UAV to adopt, it looks at a few aspects.
No drones are built the same. Some UAVs are as large as fighter jets, designed for combat and a variety of other missions, while others can be carried in a backpack and have a single purpose. The speed a drone can fly is important when choosing a drone to add to the military’s arsenal, but just as vital is its maximum ceiling. The higher an aircraft can fly, especially if it’s built for surveillance, the better view it can have of its target below. Reaching certain altitudes can provide a significant advantage from not being seen by ground troops to having a clear line of sight on a target. Additionally, a higher altitude can help drones avoid detection. So let’s take a look at a few of the drones and the maximum altitude they can reach.
