As growth in the semiconductor sector slowed and international conflicts grew, many engineering companies switched their focus to the military market. This influx of talent led to what is perhaps this era's most frightening and awe-inspiring high-technology achievement: the new wave of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Cyber Aerospace Corp.—a subsidiary of On Alert Systems, Inc., which in turn is a subsidiary of Proxity Digital Networks, Inc. (www.proxity.com)—is currently developing such UAVs.

Unmanned aerial vehicles are designed to operate innovative clandestine reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition. They also perform hunter killer missions. Cyber Aerospace's first-generation models are known as the Individual Unmanned Air Scouts (IUASs).

When fully developed, the IUASs will operate in multiple settings (SEE PHOTO). For example, they will be able to handle congested urban and jungle environments, which are unsafe for conventional UAVs. They also will function in desert and mountainous terrain. At the same time, the IUASs will perform traditional UAV surveillance, border patrol, and wide-area search and sensing missions. Unlike other UAVs, however, the IUASs are designed to be amphibious. They will be able to take off and land on land or water.

In addition, the IUASs boast the vertical takeoff and landing capabilities of a helicopter. They will be able to launch and return without a runway. As a result, they will be able to be deployed from small, concealed locations, naval ships, and building rooftops.

As "sleepers," the IUASs will fly to a location and land. Using their own power, they will then operate surveillance-monitoring activities. In battlefield situations, this surveillance capability may provide the key to surprising enemy elements.

The IUASs are being designed with an open-access airframe fuselage. That fuselage can be rapidly field configured with a wide array of cameras, sensors, weapons, and instruments. The vehicles' multi-use platforms have applications for military warfighters, homeland defense, firefighting, security, surveillance, and first-response teams.