UAV
noun
plural UAVs
: rpv
UAVs, as the Pentagon calls them, are operated not unlike the hobbyist's remote-controlled airplanes; soldiers on the ground man computer stations with controls that fly the aircraft.—
Daniel G. Dupont
Daniel G. DupontExamples of UAV in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Addressing a persistent engineering challenge in sustainable UAV design, researchers from Northwestern Polytechnical University’s School of Civil Aviation in China have developed a system that bridges the gap between unconventional materials and high-performance autonomous control.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
Multiple drones crossed into NATO member Finland, officials said on Sunday, the latest in a spate of uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) incidents hitting the alliance's eastern flank.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
There's also the Shahed — an expendable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used to target U.S. military bases in the Gulf and linked to attacks on shipping in the Persian Gulf.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 18 Mar. 2026
The stakes are high for the UAV operators.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Weapons storage facilities, UAV storage facilities, ballistic missiles, defense systems and missile launchers were struck, the Israel Defense Forces said.
—CBS News, 13 Mar. 2026
Depending on the specific UAV platform, the FAA attributed between 20% and 100% of Army and Air Force UAV crashes caused by human error through 2004 to poor interface design.
—Missy Cummings, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Mar. 2026
As low-cost UAV equipment proliferates around the world, analysts have repeatedly warned that destructive attacks perpetrated using drones are inevitable.
—Lily Hay Newman, Wired News, 16 Feb. 2026
With a single invisible shot, Raytheon's Coyote Block 3 UAV zapped swarms of drones out of the sky in a US Army demonstration showing that a reusable drone with electromagnetic weapons is an economical alternative to explosive interceptors.
—David Szondy
february 11, New Atlas, 11 Feb. 2026
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Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
Multiple drones crossed into NATO member Finland, officials said on Sunday, the latest in a spate of uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) incidents hitting the alliance's eastern flank.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
There's also the Shahed — an expendable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used to target U.S. military bases in the Gulf and linked to attacks on shipping in the Persian Gulf.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 18 Mar. 2026
The stakes are high for the UAV operators.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Weapons storage facilities, UAV storage facilities, ballistic missiles, defense systems and missile launchers were struck, the Israel Defense Forces said.
—CBS News, 13 Mar. 2026
Depending on the specific UAV platform, the FAA attributed between 20% and 100% of Army and Air Force UAV crashes caused by human error through 2004 to poor interface design.
—Missy Cummings, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Mar. 2026
As low-cost UAV equipment proliferates around the world, analysts have repeatedly warned that destructive attacks perpetrated using drones are inevitable.
—Lily Hay Newman, Wired News, 16 Feb. 2026
With a single invisible shot, Raytheon's Coyote Block 3 UAV zapped swarms of drones out of the sky in a US Army demonstration showing that a reusable drone with electromagnetic weapons is an economical alternative to explosive interceptors.
—David Szondy
february 11, New Atlas, 11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“UAV.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/UAV. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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