8bitfuture : 30% of all US Military aircraft are now unmanned. A Congressional Report has revealed that almost one third of military aircraft are drones - a huge change from a figure of 5% in 2005. The most prolific is the RQ-11 Raven, with 2200 on order and 1300 already in use. The Raven is similar in size to the RQ-7 Shadow pictured, and both are able to be launched by hand and operated by remote control as a surveillance tool, at a distance of around 6 miles and up to a 500 foot altitude.