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How Were Drones Used During WWI and WWII?

Military drones as we know them actually originated more than a century ago.

The Kettering Bug, one of the earliest combat drones, inspired the UAVs that flew in World War II and beyond. [Courtesy: National Museum of the U.S. Air Force]
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Key Takeaways:

  • Drones (UAVs) are significantly transforming modern warfare, exemplified by their prominent role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, yet their technological origins date back over a century.
  • Early drone development through World War I and the interwar period focused on establishing radio-controlled flight, developing target practice aircraft like the "Queen Bee" (which inspired the term "drone"), and conceptualizing early guided missiles.
  • World War II accelerated UAV innovation, leading to the mass production of target drones (e.g., Radioplane OQ-2) and the deployment of devastating combat drones and cruise missiles, such as Germany's V-1 and V-2, which laid crucial groundwork for today's advanced drone capabilities.
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War isn’t waged like it once was. In Russia and Ukraine, drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are shifting the tides of battle. And in the era of social media and mass communication, their use for combat, surveillance, logistics, and more has been well documented.

Recently, drones have dominated coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war, epitomized by last week’s media storm around Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow and the Kremlin. We take those capabilities for granted today—they’re just a feature of war. But plenty of active service members were alive during a time when today’s UAVs were inconceivable.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.

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