11 foreign UAVs you should know

U.S. allies and adversaries are developing and using their own unmanned aerial vehicles.

The U.S. military’s arsenal of unmanned aerial vehicles has grown to more than 7,000 and more than 50 other nations are either using or developing UAVs, reports Adam Rawnsley at Wired’s Danger Room blog.

Among the interesting UAVs operating or under development are Israel’s Heron TP, AirMule and Harpy; China’s Pterodactyl I, Soaring Dragon and Dark Sword; Iran’s Swallow and Striker; Russia’s Stork; India’s Rustom, and Germany’s Barracuda.

The nations are developing their own UAVs because the unmanned aircraft deliver sustained overhead surveillance and safe strike capability at a relative bargain.