Drones or uncrewed aircraft – acronyms, definitions, and gender equality

Abstract

Unmanned aircraft/drones are increasingly present in everyday life, from flight demonstrations, event filming, mapping, and agricultural use to delivering goods or, in the future, transporting people. Uncrewed aircraft systems have also been deployed throughout the military services, from handheld micro-UA (Unmanned Aircraft) to medium-sized tactical systems and to large uncrewed aircraft. The multitude of terms used to identify a particular type of aircraft can be confusing and therefore clarification is needed on how to use them, while at the same time considering gender equality and fairness in language.