Skip to content

Drones

US Marines salute near a Northrop Grumman RQ-8A Fire Scout prototype unmanned helicopter during the playing of the National Anthem at the 7th annual Marine West 2002 Military Exposition, January 16, 2002, at Camp Pendleton, CA
US Marines salute near a Northrop Grumman RQ-8A Fire Scout prototype unmanned helicopter during the playing of the National Anthem at the 7th annual Marine West 2002 Military Exposition, January 16, 2002, at Camp Pendleton, CA Photo: David McNew (Getty Images)

Uncrewed aircraft, commonly called drones, have been in use in some fashion or another for decades. Surveillance drones were used in the 1970s during the Vietnam War and were even brought home to the U.S. after the conflict to help monitor the U.S.-Mexico border.

But it wasn’t until the early 2000s and the so-called War on Terror that development of weaponized drones really took off. The photo above shows off the Northrop Grumman RQ-8A Fire Scout, a drone developed for the Marines.

Related Articles