Loitering munitions have become a staple on modern battlefields, especially in Ukraine. The technology is not new, and a US Navy experiment during World War II hinted at its utility. Loitering munitions and armed UAVs in general are often regarded as a 21st-century development, but they have a long history. During World War II, the US Navy was behind some of the first such drone strikes during an experiment that was ultimately scrapped but hinted at what was to come. Russian forces have used domestically made Lancet loitering munitions against Ukraine's military and employed Iranian-made Shahed-136 and 131 loitering munitions in attacks on military and civilian targets.

---

Persons: —, it's, Oleksii Organizations: US Navy, Service, Heritage Command, US, Interstate Aircraft, Company, Schwinn Bicycle Company, Navy, Interstate, Task Air, US Naval Heritage, Command, Getty Locations: Ukraine, Solomon Islands, Banika, Cape Esperance, Guadalcanal, Marcus, South Pacific, Bougainville, Solomons, Russian, Kyiv, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Soviet