US special operations forces are growing in both size and use, and that will continue for as far as the eye can see (as the rest of the DoD shrinks). So what kind of drones can we expect to see deployed? Here are a few of the less obvious ideas:
- Drone delivered supplies. <50 lbs. >500 NM range.
- Single person extraction/insertion. <250 lbs. Room for one person, in prone position. <500 NM.
- Modular packages. Portable generators + fuel cells. Analytical kits (NBC).
Almost all of these work for disaster response and open source warfare too.