Military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) tend to be either large, long-endurance platforms carrying advanced sensors too expensive to throw away, or small, shorter-range vehicles with simpler payloads cheap enough to be attritable, meaning somewhat disposable if not expendable. DARPA is trying to change the paradigm and allow lower-cost UAS to carry more advanced payloads by enabling them to be air-launched and recovered in volleys by a host aircraft. This would both extend their range and ...
