Could the next UAS market boom take place beyond the battlefield?
A smaller uncrewed equivalent of the CL-415 water bomber family could have applications for maritime security missions. (Photo: Avincis)
While the headlines remain dominated by the use of drones for combat operations in Ukraine and other conflicts, there are emerging use cases where the technology could usefully feed back into areas and missions outside the war zone.
“Drone” has become something of a 2026 buzzword. While the concept is far from new, their proliferation and the capability they provide has increased at what might be considered an exponential rate. Being able to employ large numbers of low-cost stand-off weapons against tactical and strategic targets is relatively new, though arguably simply another step in the timeless offensive/defensive military struggle.
Undeniably this proliferation brings with it serious security concerns, but also some potentially positive avenues that are increasingly being explored.
Take an example from Europe’s unprecedentedly hot summer. On an August afternoon, in the hills above the small Italian
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