Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a useful addition but are unlikely to pose a threat to satellite systems used for defense and intelligence purposes, a group of commercial geospatial-imagery services companies said. DigitalGlobe, MDA Geospatial Services, Airbus Defence, ImageSat and e-Geos said that UAV surveillance is limited to 25-square-meter, whereas satellites are more suited for wider areas. For most of the companies’ operations, UAVs are not suitable, and the cost and time spent operating them is much higher than that of satellites.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a useful addition but are unlikely to pose a threat to satellite systems used for defense and intelligence purposes, a group of commercial geospatial-imagery services companies said. DigitalGlobe, MDA Geospatial Services, Airbus Defence, ImageSat and e-Geos said that UAV surveillance is limited to 25 square metres, whereas satellites are more suited for wider areas. For most of the companies’ operations, UAVs are not suitable, and the cost and time spent operating them is much higher than that of satellites.