Drones and UAVs are a key part of the U.S. Military's
reconnaissance gathering capabilities. Drones used for recon are
small aircraft that are hard to see on radar and capable of
loitering around a target for hours on end without risking the
lives of U.S. soldiers in the process. The U.S. military also
plans to use drones to help resupply troops in remote locations.
While the U.S. has very advanced UAV's in its arsenal, Russia is
laboring with UAV technology that is years behind the United
States. Defense Technology International (DTI) reports that most
of the Russian UAVs in service were designed in the Soviet era
and are obsolete. The UAVs in the Russian military are so
obsolete that they are rarely used. Last summer, Russians used
an old Tu-22 bomber to perform a recon mission, and the bomber
was subsequently shot down while on the mission. DTI reported
that using the ancient Tu-22 bomber for a manned recon mission
was the equivalent to the 21st century version of a cavalry
charge. The Russian military are