Florida-based company Arcturus has managed to create a tiny drone small enough for small military units to command. If this passes the military testing stage, this, along with other small-scale armed drones, could see the expansion of drone warfare.
The Arcturus has a wingspan of a little over five metres, and is capable of carrying up to 10kg of cargo, including the 4.5kg laser-guided Saber missile. It has this feature even though it’s meant primarily for spying purposes. It was designed to be used by commandos in the field:
Unlike the other “tier-2 class” drones, Arcturus is intended primarily for commandos. Like the Shadow, it’s launched from a pneumatic catapult, and doesn’t need a runway to land. Unlike a Shadow, the Arcturus is a modular design: The wings and the tail snap off of the 100-pound plane for portability by small special-operations detachments behind enemy lines.
Which explains the camo warpaint, although it’s still a nice touch. [Wired]