What is a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)?

What it is: UAV means ‘Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.’ That’s the official name for a drone. No pilot on board.
Who it’s for: Anyone seeing ‘UAV’ in news or tech articles
Best if: You want the formal word for drone
Skip if: You work in aviation

UAV is the tech word for drone. It stands for:

• U — Unmanned (no person inside)
• A — Aerial (flies in the air)
• V — Vehicle (a machine that moves)

UAV vs drone

They mean the same thing. But you hear each in different places:

• “Drone” — used by news, shoppers, and everyone casual
• “UAV” — used by engineers, the military, and regulators (like the FAA)

Other related terms

• UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System): Includes the drone plus the controller plus the software. The whole setup.
• RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft): Another name. Emphasizes that a human still controls it from the ground.
• sUAS: “Small” UAS. Most consumer drones fall here.

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