UASUV 2017 Med Unmanned Vehicles Technology | Page 13

And there are sources considering these predictions quite conservative. Over 17 mil. of drones have been sold worldwide for the last two years. And although many of them have been used for recreational purposes, it is the same kind of technology coming from - and adding to - the high-end, sophisticated UAVs which are used for military/defense, scientific and research purposes. Speaking about research and development, it would be interesting to see that right now in the US, the number of companies which are licensed by FAA to perform operations with drones is much higher than the number of companies which are licensed to operate in manned aviation. And this number is rapidly and progressively increasing… Regarding the use of UAVs for military purposes, we could say that this is a relatively complex deal, especially considering what was happening a couple of years ago. It is now obvious that a lot of manned operations can be performed by UAVs which is very important because when you plan an operation your goal is to succeed. The increasing number of operations with the use of UAVs indicates that the level and the reliability of the existing technology is high and failures are of the same percentage as of the manned operations. Nowadays the UAVs are probably the most up-to-date, cost and life-effective way of achieving national security and defense objectives. The UXV manufacturing and development sector seems to be a great opportunity for the Hellenic Defense Industry and its members. Not only because our existing resources, facility and personnel-wise are more than adequate for us to become key players in this market. But also because the demands for the Development of such an industry sector fit perfectly on the size and needs of a country - of a market - like Greece. Manufacturing and developing UAVs do not require any established heavy industry. Probably the most demanding part in undertaking such a project would be to maintain and develop its software. For Greece which has a plethora of scientists in a sustainable cost compared to other countries, that shouldn’t be a problem …but a key competitive advantage. Defense Industry must by its nature always be at the cutting edge of technology. Almost every modern technological achievement began directly or indirectly through research of defense systems. For a country like ours where there is no heavy commercial industry (we do not have a car industry, extended commercial electronics industry, etc.), it is vital to monitor technological improvement in all sorts of systems and applications through their use in the Defense Industry …and the UAVs should be no exception to this rule. Is there a fertile ground in the Greek market for the UAVs to penetrate after having been manufactured and applied for defense purposes? Will there be a dividend for Greece after the drones’ development through the defense industry? The answer is definitely a “YES”. For a country like ours that has been repeatedly stroke by fires, the UAVs’ aerial surveillance, along with other capacities developed upon demand, can play an important role in the prevention and deterrence of forest fires. For Greece that wants to use its “primary production” as a growth locomotive, the use of drones could revolutionize Agriculture, through the “soil and field analysis capacities” that drones can provide, through innovative planting techniques, through crop monitoring and spraying. For an island country like Greece, a country with a significant number of non-accessible areas the UAVs’ usage by hospitals, for blood transportation, transportation of surgical tools, for all sorts of medical material, or even for first aid services will be priceless. And so will be the contribution of our (defense) Industry to the aforementioned achievements. 2/3