Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones will unquestionably play a major role in the years to come, as their performance, miniaturization and flexibility of use improve and costs fall. Already, lessons learnt from operational theatres, particularly Afghanistan, argue in favour of widespread use of UAVs. Able to carry various types of payloads (observation, acquisition, target illumination or missiles), UAVs present important technological development potential. As regards specialized Army units, the information they gather in near real time contributes to the production of tactical intelligence.