Technology Blog

Unmanned drones, remote-controlled military aircraft designated to play a vital role in combat, took the spotlight at the Farnborough air show this week. Aerospace manufacturers at Farnborough reported brisk sales last year because NATO forces in Afghanistan are already using unmanned aircrafts for intelligence gathering. Companies and analysts said they expect sales of drones to slow less than in other defense aviation sections despite defense budgets worldwide being tightened due to fragile economies. U.S. defense group Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk, a high-altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), is a potential replacement for the venerable U-2 spy plane. "The planned date (for U-2 decommissioning) is by 2012, but it is unlikely the U-2 will just drop dead. More likely there will be a draw-down," Northrop Grumman's Director of Business Development Ed Walby told AFP at the Farnborough show near London, a key get-together in the aviation world.Northrop took its spot at the show after gathering up s