Top Deadliest Military Drones Ever Built In The World

Drones may soon come as an option for delivering goods, but we are mostly unaware of what exactly it was invented for in advance. For your information, drones were initially developed for the military to cover a load of overseas operations, which comprise of both war and civil surveillance. To meet the needs of the military, a drone needs to come with several outstanding features and capabilities that can't be found in any regular drone.

Here are some of the most advanced military drones in the world at this time.

1. X-47B PEGASUS

Manufacturer: Northrop Grumman

Operators: United States Navy

Cost: N/A

The Pegasus is an unmanned aerial vehicle which was built for aircraft carriers. According to some prestigious sources, the drone can achieve a maximum speed at 180 mph. It's designed to be easily taken off from land and ground all by itself, with the ability to refuel over the ocean. In term of armament, it can carry and self-deploy a load of smart bombs along with other weaponry through the onboard computer systems.

2. NORTHROP GRUMMAN RQ-4 GLOBAL HAWK

Manufacturer: Northrop Grumman

Operators: United States, Japan, South Korea

Cost: $130 million

Global Hawk drone is extremely huge in size, which is designed for the military at present. Although being first used for surveillance purposes, it could be a killer drone with powerful and deadly attacks against ground targets if it needs to be. Not only the capability in covering a wide area but also unpredictably gathering data amount, the drone is believed to boast of tons of advanced sensors.

3. X-45 UCAV

Manufacturer: Boeing Integrated Defense Systems

Operators: United States Air Force

Cost: $10 - $15 million

The X-45 is among a few drones that can take responsibility to execute dangerously covert operations for military purposes. The drone can fly autonomously without interference from human, even firing lethal weapons at an extremely fast speed. Under the hood, X-45 is said to integrate a smart computer system which can make autonomous decisions about a target on its own.

4. PREDATOR C, AVENGER

Manufacturer: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems

Operators: United States Air Force and unidentified U.S. government's customer (up to seven aircraft)

Cost: $12 million to $15 million

Being argued that it's better than the MQ-9 Reaper, the Predator actually come with a lot of complex features to be considered as one of the most sophisticated military drones in the world. While the Avenger still has room for improvement, it can do most of the toughest missions that it was designed for. At up to thirty thousand feet, the drone can make autonomous decisions while flying at such high altitude. Besides, the drone can be airborne in some days while it's fully in mission.

5. MQ – 9 REAPER

Manufacturer: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems

Operators: United States, United Kingdom, India, France, and so on.

Cost: $16 million

First built for serving in the United States Air Force, the Reaper a.k.a Predator B is usually considered as the most lethal UAV in the sky in term of onboard technology. Its turboprop engine is reportedly nearly 10 times stronger than any other drone's piston-driven engine. The attacking ability is something outstanding, which comprises of carrying huge loads at a time and deploying laser-guided missiles against any target. Under the hood, a battery system powers the drone and keep it up to 36 hours airborne and reach roughly 52,000 feet of altitude.

6. IAI EITAN

Manufacturer: Israel Aerospace Industries

Operators: Israeli Defence Force

Cost: $35 million

IAI Heron has produced a few drones for military, including the IAI Eitan. With the size of a fighter jet, it may be the biggest drones in the world. According to the company, it can reach about 40,000 feet in height when airborne as well as being operational for three days. To fully have such dedicated abilities, it is run by a load of powerful batteries. The giant drone has already taken advantage of its size to accompany very large weaponry, alongside maintaining a stealth approach.

7. WING LONG II

Manufacturer: Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group

Operators: China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, etc.

Cost: $2 million

The Chengdu Corporation has developed the huge drone Wing Long II for the Chinese Army. It's primarily used for surveillance and covert operations. It can deploy multiple missiles to attack targets in both air and surface.

8. ELBIT HERMES 900

Manufacturer: Elbit Systems

Operators: Israel, the European Union, Switzerland, Brazil, Mexico, etc.

Cost: N/A

The Elbit Hermes 900 is an Israeli medium-size drone used for military. Its first mission was taking part in the Operation Protective Edge in 2014, which has proved its lethal ability. It's designed to autonomously fire air-to-ground missiles towards targets without any human interference.