Fox 4 - The RQ-4 flew above controlled airspace, something not all future UAVs will be designed to do (for good reason). Crossing the Atlantic is one thing (a great achievement) but doesn't really inform the debate on how a UAS might get its associated platform from here, to theatre, via any intervening airspace.
I can't get excited about the drone/UAV argument except to say that I feel the terms UAV and UAS are more useful in a detailed discussion, given that a UAV is a component of a UAS and that the term drone doesn't, in my opinion, facilitate the autonomy discussion.
I'm familiar with the way in which Reaper operates in the US and I'm not aware of it flying in un-segregated airspace other than under 'special provision'.
Beags proposal to operate UAVs from remote sites such as ASI doesn't allow for how we'd train with them and the future breed of UAS and UCAVs in particular will come with a significant training burden.
Sun Who