Farm security: it's time to get an eye in the sky!

Modern drones have come a long way from their clunky forebears; they're also more affordable. One key use for them is as 'eyes in the sky' to help maintain security, and this makes them ideal for farmers. Security consultant Laurence Palmer gives a brief history of the drone and explains what it takes to operate one.

-  Laurence Palmer

An aircraft with no pilot on board, or an unmanned aerial vehicle, is commonly known by its acronym, UAV, or by the word ‘drone’. The latter term was first used in the 1930s by developers of radio-controlled aeroplanes used as targets to help train anti-aircraft gunners.

A UAV can be a remote-controlled aircraft flown by a ground-based pilot, or an aircraft that flies autonomously based on a preprogrammed flight plan or a dynamic automation system.

The term ‘unmanned aircraft system’ (UAS) was introduced to reflect the fact that these complex systems include ground stations and other elements in addition to the actual aircraft. ‘UAS’, however, is not widely used, as UAV has become part of the modern lexicon.

WHAT EXACTLY IS A DRONE?

Many members of the public have a negative perception of drones, as they associate the word with military attack drones. Yet a drone should be seen for what it is: simply an aircraft without a pilot, and it has enormous potential for good that is only beginning to be appreciated. Today’s drones are used in a huge and growing variety of roles, many of them highly beneficial.

Nonetheless, it is true that, as with so many inventions, drones came about as a military tool. Radio-controlled aircraft were first tested at the end of the First World War, and, as already mentioned, improved during the inter-war years, when they became known as drones. Development continued during the Second World War, the Cold War, and more recently wars and conflicts in Vietnam, Iraq, Syria and Palestine. Today, drones are being used extensively by both sides in the Russia-Ukraine war.