Local contractors have stake in growing popularity of drones

Amid industry jitters over the potential for huge defense-budget cuts in the months and years ahead, there is at least one area of military technology that may fly above the funding fray: unmanned aerial systems, better known as drones.

“With these kinds of systems, the military can send machines into combat and often avoid the loss of our troops’ lives,” said Roger Handberg, an aerospace expert and professor of political science at the University of Central Florida. “We are much more casualty-averse now, unlike say 20 or 30 years ago. We really want to minimize the exposure of our troops to deadly harm when possible.”

Central Florida’s largest military contractors have landed some key unmanned-aerial-system contracts that could prove a bonanza if the drone industry takes off as expected, both within military and civilian aviation.

Read more about the drones from the Orlando Sentinel by clicking here.

Dr. Handberg is the Pre-Law Advisor for the College of Sciences. His research interests include space policy, defense policy, the U.S. Supreme Court, and judicial politics.

Dr. Handberg has published extensively (157 articles and book chapters, 9 books; 36 other publications) and presented papers at international, national and regional meetings (124 papers). Handberg has worked as a professor at UCF since 1972. Handberg previously served for three years in the U.S. Army. He earned his doctorate in Political Science from the University of North Carolina. He has been interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, NPR, BBC, Los Angeles Times, Time Magazine and Space News.