Fire Scout project studied by Northrop Grumman Corporation gets another $3 million award from DARPA for the study of unmanned combat armed rotorcraft (UCAR). Fire Scout is manufactured by Schweizer Aircraft Company. Fire Scout is an unmanned copter UAV with vertical take off and landing and will provide enhanced reconnaissance and attack capabilities for U.S. Army aviation.

Here's some other interesting sites for Fire Scout and other UAV info, and here , and here. [Meerkat: An Open Wire Service]

UAV's are the next big thing, the same way that armor changed the role of the cavalry in the past, UAV's are going to change the way that recon and artillery are used in future.

Civillian roles: Traffic enforcement, hunting for fugitives, searching for lost campers/missing persons in large parks/rural areas.