This autonomous air vehicle uses GPS and inertial navigation for observation missions in hazardous situations without exposing its operator to risk. RQ-16s provided the first detailed interior imagery of damaged nuclear reactors in Japan during 2011 and have flown with police SWAT teams and military bomb disposal units.
Caption:
A tactical unmanned aerial vehicle for providing close observation in hazardous situations.
Type: Artifact
Image Date: 2012
Credit: National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Origin: National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution