2025.09.14 – Drones of War and Fighter Aircraft: Sizes, Weights, Volumes, Etymology, Preferences, and Autonomy

Key Findings

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly called drones, vary from small tactical systems weighing a few kilograms to large strategic models rivaling airliners in wingspan. Fighter aircraft, by contrast, are compact but dense, designed for speed, maneuverability, and direct combat. Drones generally weigh less than fighters, even when their fuselages occupy comparable volumes. The English word “drone” originates in the Old English term for male bees, later applied to unmanned aircraft in the 1930s. In modern military operations, drones are preferred for reconnaissance, long-endurance surveillance, and low-risk strikes, while fighter jets dominate air-to-air combat and missions requiring human judgment. Not all drones are directly piloted; autonomy ranges from human-controlled to semi-autonomous and, in some contested cases, fully autonomous loitering munitions. Multiple countries, including Turkey, the United States, Ukraine, China, and Lithuania, have tested drones with varying degrees of autonomy in real conflicts.

Confirmed Facts

1. Military drones span several categories. Small tactical drones such as the RQ-11 Raven measure under 2 m in length and weigh only a few kilograms, serving reconnaissance roles. Medium armed drones such as the MQ-9 Reaper are about 11 m long with fuselage volumes estimated between 12 and 20 cubic meters and maximum takeoff weights of approximately 4,700 kg. Large strategic drones such as the RQ-4 Global Hawk have fuselage volumes between 70 and 110 cubic meters, with a weight of around 14,600 kg, despite wingspans comparable to small airliners.
2. Fighter aircraft are denser than drones. The F-16 Fighting Falcon has a fuselage volume estimated at 90 to 130 cubic meters and a maximum weight near 19,000 kg. The F-35 Lightning II has a fuselage volume between 110 and 160 cubic meters and a maximum takeoff weight of about 31,800 kg. The Reaper, by comparison, has one-sixth the mass of an F-16 and less than one-fifth the mass of an F-35, even though its fuselage is only slightly smaller. The Global Hawk matches or exceeds fighters in fuselage volume but remains lighter.
3. The etymology of “drone” traces to the Old English drān, meaning the male bee or drone, associated with a monotonous buzzing. In the 1930s, the British Royal Navy applied the term to unmanned target aircraft, notably the De Havilland Queen Bee, which produced buzzing noises reminiscent of bees. From that origin, “drone” spread to describe all unmanned aerial vehicles.
4. In combat doctrine, fighter aircraft are indispensable for missions requiring air superiority, direct air-to-air combat, and psychological deterrence. They provide human pilots with the ability to make rapid tactical decisions in complex encounters. Drones are preferred for reconnaissance, surveillance, and targeted strikes in environments where endurance is valued or where political and human risks are minimized. Fighters emphasize density, power, and maneuverability; drones emphasize endurance, efficiency, and reduced human risk.
5. Autonomy levels in drones vary. Fully human-controlled drones are operated remotely via satellite or radio, with humans deciding all weapon releases, as with the MQ-9 Reaper. Semi-autonomous drones, such as the RQ-4 Global Hawk, can take off, fly missions, and land on preprogrammed routes under supervision. Some systems operate with autonomy but under human oversight, executing tasks like target tracking before operator intervention. Fully autonomous drones, able to attack without human authorization, are technically feasible but remain controversial and rare in confirmed use.
6. Several nations have fielded or tested autonomous or semi-autonomous drones. Reports from the United Nations describe the Turkish STM Kargu loitering munition possibly attacking targets without direct human command in Libya, although details remain contested. The United States has deployed Phoenix Ghost loitering munitions to Ukraine and is developing advanced AI-driven combat drones. Ukraine itself has used loitering drones and swarming tactics during the conflict with Russia, some with autonomous navigation under electronic warfare. China has promoted an “intelligentized warfare” doctrine applying artificial intelligence to drones. Lithuania has developed the Granta GA-10FPV-AI quadcopter drone with AI features, deployed domestically and provided to Ukraine.
7. The deployment of autonomous drones raises legal and ethical concerns. Technical challenges include reliable target identification, vulnerability to electronic interference, and unpredictable outcomes in complex environments. Many states publicly maintain policies requiring human oversight of lethal strikes, but the rapid evolution of loitering munitions and AI-assisted drones in conflicts such as those in Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Ukraine demonstrates accelerating pressure toward greater autonomy.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STM_Kargu?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3309244/us-tests-ai-driven-combat-drones-it-competes-china-develop-loyal-wingmen?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aevex_Phoenix_Ghost?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://vgi.com.ua/en/ai-drones-in-ukraine-russian-war/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.inss.org.il/publication/explosive-drones/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://247wallst.com/military/2025/04/16/which-countries-are-experimenting-with-ai-powered-weapons/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granta_GA-10FPV-AI?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://mondointernazionale.org/focus-allegati/ai-in-warfare-loitering-munitions-current-applications-and-legal-challenges?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.autonorms.eu/loitering-munitions-and-unpredictability-autonomy-in-weapon-systems-and-challenges-to-human-control/?utm_source=chatgpt.com