ABSTRACT
This chapter exclusively deals with the autonomous vehicle technology and sensor requirements for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). An unmanned vehicle (UV) will have no operator aboard the vehicle and will have all the necessary sensors and high-speed computers essential to undertake the mission tasks assigned to it. Of course, this vehicle will be in constant touch with the ground-based operator through communications. Under emergency conditions, the ground-based operator will have the authority to extend or abort a specific tactical mission in order to save the costly, complex, secret vehicle from falling into enemy hands.
