Spies That Fly

Fly into battle with America's pilotless warplanes

2003 · 56 min

It has no pilot, no windows, and it's flown by remote control. But this odd-looking plane is already credited with helping destroy nearly 750 enemy targets. It's the Predator, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with powerful surveillance cameras that spy on our enemies day or night and keep our military personnel out of harm's way. The Predator is changing America's battle plans, and more advanced UAVs are close behind. From flying spies the size of a CD player to fully armed pilotless jets that roam halfway around the world, get a close look at the revolutionary UAVs from the past 50 years, including the Lightning Bug, Pioneer, and Predator. Follow military specialists, scientists, and engineers as they examine some of the revolutionary vehicles currently under development, such as the Global Hawk, a long endurance jet programmed to fly itself from takeoff to landing.

Directed by Larry Klein