There has been an upsurge in the employment of airborne weapon systems for rotorcraft on UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) throughout the last few decades. This has been especially true with UAVs, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UUV). Some of these systems have also found applications in rotorcrafts. These aircraft, however, require a rather long runway for takeoff and landing. For example, the United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) said in October 2021 that they will begin testing Rapid Dragon-palletized missiles with other aerial weapon systems in 2022.
Due to the high expense of several airborne weapons systems, they may never be fully deployed. The cost of maintaining the systems, as well as their assistance from orbit, are some of the costs. The device would also need to be able to provide enough firepower to defeat any hostile air defences. Another reason why some analysts doubt that these missiles will ever become a primary weapon is the cost of gathering data on opponent defence systems and developing countermeasures.
When attempting to launch a lightweight missile against a rotorcraft, it frequently encounters the same issue. The issue is that the aircraft's centre of gravity has shifted forward, requiring the missile to expend more energy in order to take off. Although such a system is unlikely to be employed for offensive objectives, it may be used to defend against cruise missiles. A lightweight missile can amass enough energy to overpower a huge aircraft's rotor blade.
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