A UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) is the complete system: the aircraft (UAV/RPAS), the ground control station, the datalink and any payload. In this learning environment we use "drone" as an informal umbrella term for the same concept.
Doctrine uses two independent axes to classify a UAS: size (weight, altitude, speed — the NATO Class and US DoD Group schemes) and role (what it is employed for). Both axes are covered below.
Most threats in this learning environment fall in the smallest classes (Class I / Group 1–2): cheap, deployable at scale, and hard to detect with conventional means.
Classification by size: NATO Class & DoD Group
NATO (STANAG 4670/4671) and the US Department of Defense use two parallel, overlapping schemes to classify UAS by take-off weight, altitude and speed. See also the reference card NATO UAS Classification.
| NATO Class | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Class I (Mini ≤ 2 kg / Small 2–25 kg) | < 150 kg total · up to ~5,000 ft AGL · range up to ~50 km · endurance up to ~2 h — incl. FPV and COTS quadcopters |
| Class II — Tactical | 150–600 kg · up to ~3,000 m (~10,000 ft) · radius ~200 km — e.g. Orlan-10-type systems |
| Class III — MALE/HALE | > 600 kg · up to ~65,000 ft · requires a fixed runway; also covers Strike/Combat variants (UCAV) |
| US DoD Group | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Group 1 | ≤ 20 lb (~9 kg) · < 1,200 ft AGL · < 100 kt — e.g. RQ-11 Raven |
| Group 2 | 21–55 lb (~9–25 kg) · < 3,500 ft AGL · < 250 kt — e.g. ScanEagle |
| Group 3 | < 1,320 lb (~600 kg) · < FL180 (18,000 ft) — e.g. RQ-7 Shadow |
| Group 4 | > 1,320 lb · < FL180, unlimited speed — e.g. MQ-1 Predator |
| Group 5 | > 1,320 lb · > FL180 — e.g. MQ-9 Reaper, RQ-4 Global Hawk |
Class I ≈ Group 1–2 · Class II ≈ Group 3 · Class III ≈ Group 4–5. Note: exact sub-thresholds (particularly within Class I) vary slightly between sources and member states — the values above are the most commonly cited.
Classification by role: the four main roles
| Role | Core | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ISR | Reconnaissance, target designation, battle damage assessment | Orlan-10 |
| Strike / OWA | Single-use attack or loitering munition | Shahed-136, Lancet |
| EW / relay | Jamming, signal intercept, range extension | Orlan-10 as mothership |
| Decoy | Saturating air defence without itself being armed | Gerbera |
A single platform can combine multiple roles — the Orlan-10 is both an ISR sensor and a relay station. Role and size are independent: a Class I aircraft can be both ISR and Strike/OWA.