The History of Drones

In 1849 Austrian soldiers attacked Venice with hot-air, hydrogen- or helium-filled balloons equipped with bombs.

The first pilotless radio-controlled aircraft were used in World War I. ​

In 1935, the de Havilland DH82B “Queen Bee” is the first generally used drone, fitted with a radio and servo-operated controls in the back seat.

Military use of drones soon expanded to play roles in dropping leaflets and acting as spying decoys.

Military drone use solidified in 1982 when the Israeli Air Force used UAVs to wipe out the Syrian fleet with minimal loss of Israeli forces. The Israeli UAVs acted as decoys, jammed communication and offered real-time video reconnaissance.