Here is a civilian application
"Satellites offer a glimpse from above and ground observations give some information, but to understand the albedo level of these brown clouds, the best method is to fly into them with sophisticated instruments. Manned aircraft can do the job, but the cost can be between $5,000 to $10,000 an hour, greatly limiting the amount of time they can be available to gather data.
Enter the Manta AUAV. Built by Advanced Ceramics Research of Tucson, Ariz., these AUAVs carry miniaturized instrument packages developed by members of Ramanathan's team, including Greg Roberts, M V Ramana and Craig Corrigan. These instruments are capable of measuring solar radiation, cloud-drop size and concentrations, particle size and concentrations, turbulence, humidity and temperature. The craft can remain airborne for several hours, travel hundreds of miles and as high as 15,000 feet. They are also substantially cheaper to operate than manned aircraft, meaning they can make more flights and observations."
Photo Credit: Advanced Ceramics Research
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