Ocean-spanning drones could attack the US from Africa
Drones capable of carrying explosives to countries thousands of miles away could be available in just five years, according to an expert.
These terror drones could fly from Africa to the US in just over a day, a top US defence adviser told the Pentagon.
Many companies are chasing a new commercial market and pushing this technology forward which means in the next few years they could become widely available.
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The Greased Lightening drone (pictured) can fold eight out of its ten propellers down to reach optimum efficiency. It can fly for up to 24 hours without a breakÂ
'In about five years, drones will be able to be launched from Africa which can reach our shores, because they'll have permanent power by the sun', Owen West, who is a top adviser for the Pentagon's special operations and low-intensity conflicts told US lawmakers in Virginia last week, according to the report by Defense One.
Last year, ISIS became the first non-state group to use commercial drones to attack their enemies,
General Raymond Thomas, who is the US Special Operations commander said their use of this technology was the 'most daun ting problem' of last year.
They're particularly threatening because they could be commercially bought.
The US already has unmanned aerial systems (UAS) that can stay up for a day or more.
The MQ-1C Grey Eagle drone can stay up for 25 hours and the MQ-9 Reaper can fly more than 1,150 miles (1,850km), according to the report.
Over the next few years experts believe electric UAS will need more powerful electric motors, lighter solar cells and flight management systems that require a minimum of human input.
One of these companies, Advanced Aircraft Company, has created a drone called Greased Lightening which combines the best bits of drone and aeroplane design.
The report says many companies are chasing a new commercial market and pushing this technology forward which means they could become widely available. Pictured is the Greased Lightening drone
It can fold eight out of its ten propellers down to reach optimum efficiency and can fly for up to 24 hours.
 It is a commercial variant of a design that was also being developed by NASA.
Although it probably won't be in production for a few years it has benefited from the development of powerful electric motors.
'You have conventional airplane UAS that are launched from catapults and have large recovery equipment like nets or skyhooks or things like that', founder and CEO Bill Fredericks told Defense One.
The Greased Lightening drone is a commercial variant of a design that was also being developed by NASA. Although it probably won't be in production for a few years it has benefited from the development of powerful electric motors
The US already has unmanned aerial systems (UAS) that can stay up for a day or more. Pictured is the Greased Lightening drone
'And basically those aircraft, the advantage is like a normal airplane, it gets a very good lift-to-drag ratio,' he said.
'Electric motors are really unique, and good efficiency and good power-to-weight electric motors are a relatively new thing to come to the market', Mr Fredericks said.
Silent Falcon, which was created by a subsidiary of Bye Aeronautics, has a solar-powered drone that can fly 200 kilometres (124 miles).
Silent Falcon, created by a subsidiary of Bye Aeronautics, has a solar-powered drone that can fly 200 kilometres (124 miles). Pictured is the Greased Lightening drone in flight
Over the next few years experts believe electric UAS will need more powerful electric motors, lighter solar cells and flight management systems that require a minimum of human input. Pictured is the Greased Lightening drone being controlled with a remote control device
The device is small enough to fit in the back of a pickup truck and can be put together and launched in less than 30 minutes.
'We take off with a catapult, and land with a parachute, so anywhere you can get a pickup truck, you can utilise our system,' said Silent Falcon's CEO and founder John Brown.
The Silent Falcon system currently costs several hundred thousand dollars but it will become more affordable as the technology becomes more used.Â
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