Commanders will see and understand the battlespace and gain situational awareness on the battlefield. They will takeoff like helicopters and will not need a runway. The new drones will be quieter and more survivable.

Heavily protected areas will be observable and provide immediate situational awareness on the battlefield.

The US Army is mainly facing sneak attacks, IED (improvised explosives) and attacks from an enemy that is hiding.

The new drones will be loaded up with sensors. They will have modern datalinks, Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/ IR) sensors, Infra-Red/Laser pointer/Laser designator/Laser range finder and data encryption.

If the Army can find the enemy then regular soldiers with current gear can destroy the enemy.

Here are the capabilities of some of the lead competing systems.