Ever since the Wright Brothers’ first successful manned airplane flight took place in 1903, the sky has been the limit for aerospace design. All around the world, engineers became fascinated with the possibilities of flight. In 1907, Louis-Charles Bréguet created the first ever unmanned aircraft, a large quadrocopter called the Gyroplane No.1. The Gyroplane was only flown a handful of times and just a few feet off the ground before Bréguet began developing manned military aircraft. But the idea of using unmanned aerial vehicles for military operations took hold. The first military drones were built during World War I, but it wasn’t until 1939 when the first remotely operated drone, the Radioplane OQ-2, saw action in World War II. From that time on, drones became synonymous with the military.

Drones being used outside of military operations didn’t really begin until the early 2000’s. Today drone technology is one of the fastest growing markets for commercial and personal use. However, there is no doubt that military contracts still make up the largest percentage of drone market growth. Towards the end of 2020, the US Army released information that they were reaching out to drone developers to design a vehicle to be used in a Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial Resupply System (JTAARS). This system is much like what companies such as Amazon and Walmart are developing, a drone delivery system. One thing that the world has learned after nearly a year of a worldwide pandemic, is that goods delivered by drones are possible. The FAA has been granting waivers to logistics companies to begin delivering small packages directly to customer’s homes or central drop stations.

And while it is possible in some cities to get a meal, small groceries, prescriptions, or even a COVID-19 test kit delivered by a drone, these types of deliveries are not quite what the Army has in mind. In the specifications released by the Army, a drone befitting JTAARS needs to weigh no more than 1,300lbs and be able to carry a payload upwards of 800lbs. The drone also needs to be easy to assemble and be stored in a 20ft container that requires no more than 4 officers to transport, assemble, and operate. The drone should be able to navigate through adverse weather conditions, in darkness, in GPS denied areas, and in shared airspace. On top of that autonomy of launch, flight, cargo drops, and a return to base are needed for JTAARS.

More and More military operations around the world are being based out of remote locations. Getting supplies to these outposts is expensive, time consuming, and often dangerous. Still, the idea of soldiers running out of ammunition, medical supplies, water, food, fuel, or even entertainment is unacceptable. The US military has been developing JTAARS since 2017. This involves looking into both aerial and ground unmanned resupply systems. While researchers are still working on an unmanned follow the leader type ground convoy, they strongly believe that using drones will be a better and safer option. According to a release from the Army, they expect to have an aerial JTAARS fully operational by 2026.

Though drones were originally developed for military use, it is their newfound place in the commercial sector that is proving to be a driving force behind new military advancements. The US Army is fully aware that it is the advancements being made by companies like Zipline and Wing that have been paving the way for drones to make deliveries. These companies have shown that drones can be routinely used to deliver supplies to remote locations cost effectively. It is simply a matter of rescaling the models to fit the needs of the military.