Unmanned combat aerial vehicle

An unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), also known as a combat drone, fighter drone or battlefield UAV, is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that carries aircraft ordnance such as air-to-surface missiles, anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), and/or aerial bombs on hardpoints or within weapons bay, allowing it to perform tactical attacks known as drone strikes. Advancements in Turkey’s and Australia’s UCAV programs have recently demonstrated some multi-role combat characteristics by combining beyond-visual-range air-to-air combat and ground-attack capabilities. UCAVs are used for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance, attacking high-value targets and prolonged loitering before needing to return to base, unlike loitering munitions and one-way attack drones, which are single-use drones made for physically ramming into a target and exploding on impact; or surveillance drones, which are unarmed drones used only for aerial reconnaissance and gathering intelligence. In March 2026 the British government indicated that it had aerial minesweeping drones and was considering deploying them in the strait of Hormuz.