Chronicles Nearly Forty Years of Groundbreaking Unmanned Aircraft Development Unmanned Aircraft Systems Innovation at the Naval Research Laboratory recounts the previously untold story of unmanned aircraft research and development at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Vehicle Research Section (VRS). It features vehicles that have charted the course of unmanned aircraft history in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. A comprehensive history of lessons-learned, the book features more than 100 unmanned aircraft covering various missions, levels of autonomy, configurations, propulsion systems, structural materials, and more.It includes vehicles designed for missions such as:chemical/biological/nuclear agent detectionreconnaissancesurveillanceantisubmarine warfareship electronic warfare protectionsignals intelligencescientific missionssensor emplacementsystems integration supportpayload testingplanetary explorationWritten from engineering and aircraft design perspectives familiar to industry professionals, this text is nonetheless accessible to the nontechnical aviation enthusiast. It honors the accomplishmentsof the tireless and gifted teams who made these innovative aircraft and their technologies possible. It is a unique and unparalleled contribution to the history of aircraft design and development.