Table 2.

Comparison of current and expected future UAV features and capabilities.

Serial #	Current UAV Features and Capabilities	Future UAV Features and Capabilities
1	Multi-rotor or fixed-wing	Hybrid of multi-rotor and fixed-wing, variable wing geometry
2	Aerial flying	Aerial, over- and underwater, and on-ground maneuvering
3	Propeller propulsion	Jet engine propulsion in addition to propeller propulsion
4	Battery and fossil fuel	Solar, synthetic, hydrogen fuel, and battery charging while flying
5	Small and medium payloads	Large, multi-purpose payloads
6	Limited maneuverability for fixed-wing UAVs	High maneuverability for fixed-wing UAVs
7	Cost varies, and dependent on the size of UAV	Reduction in price of different sizes of UAVs
8	Flight duration dependent on the payload	Long flight duration, and less dependent on the payload
9	Weather and light affects performance	All weather, day and night high performance
10	Small to medium RCS	Very small RCS
11	Limited and vulnerable communication links	Redundant and secured communication links
12	Semi-autonomous operations	Fully autonomous and AI-controlled options available
13	Limited ECM capabilities	Enhanced ECM capabilities