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Mini Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) present distinct design challenges due to their man-portable, field-deployable profile. The implications of various unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) design configurations for Mini UAS applications are discussed in this study. Fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and hybrid Mini UAS design configurations are analysed and compared based on performance parameters specified by various manufacturers to assess appropriateness for military and civil applications. Mini UAS designed for military applications can meet most requirements in the civil domain. However, the reverse is seldom feasible because of several restrictions imposed by combat conditions. Fixed-wing Mini UAS have significant limitations for military applications, primarily because of launch and recovery considerations. For civil applications, the fixed-wing configuration provides multiple advantages. The benefit of the rotary-wing configuration's compact size to overcome various battlespace restrictions for military applications does not translate to other performance parameters, and this is a serious limitation for its applications. The hybrid profile has significant design advantages that can be leveraged for both military and civil applications. The interrelation between design, end-use requirements and terrain restrictions presented in the paper provides an insight into the implications of the design configurations of Mini UAS for various applications.

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Purpose This paper aims to evaluate the factors that dictate the design of a mini unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Design/methodology/approach This paper analyses various dimensions that dictate the design criteria for a mini UAS. Findings Compared to civil applications, design of mini UAS for military application is much more challenging owing to combat restrictions. Topics related to civil applications dominate research in the field of mini UAS, with over 60% of the papers accounting for civil applications. Limited published articles related to military applications are available. While 86% of the in-production mini UAS is primarily meant for military applications, only 9% of the research is devoted to military applications of mini UAS. Most mini UAS, although designed primarily for military applications, are also extensively used for various civil applications. Critical aspects that influence the employment of mini UAS in the tactical battlespace are area of interest, type of operation, type of operational tasks, terrain and network-centric operations. All these factors collectively impact the design of a mini UAS. Practical implications According to various studies, mini UAS is the fastest growing segment amongst all classes of UAS. This paper will provide vital inputs to the designers and manufacturers of mini UAS for both military and civil applications. Social implications Mini UAS are in the list of “must-have” for modern militaries across the world and is also growing exponentially in the civil domain. Therefore, it is important to understand the critical factors that dictate the design of mini UAS. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, such an analysis is not available in the open domain.