The U.S. military has drastically increased the use of unmanned surveillance planes in battlefields, revolutionizing warfare, The USA Today reported on Friday.

Before the Iraq war started in March 2003, the U.S. army had 14 such aircraft, officially known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

But it now has around 700 operating in both Iraq and Afghanistan, most of them small, according to the report.

In 2003 and 2004, the army flew the aircraft for around 1,500 hours per month. However, during the past year, the aircraft flew 9,000 hours a month on average.

UAVs and sensor systems have made it easier to spot insurgents and roadside bombs, thus saving American lives, Pentagon officials and experts said.

Using the aircraft, troops can often get an instant picture of what lurks behind the next hill or building.

"One can argue that the standard equipment for a U.S. Marine or infantryman now is the helmet, rifle, boots and UAV," said Christopher Bolkcom, a defense expert with the Congressional Research Service.

Pilotless aircraft have changed fighting as much as night-vision technology did in the 1980s and 1990s, John Burke, project manager for the Army's UAV program, was quoted as saying.

"It's very seldom that you see a revolution in warfare like this," he said.

However, the increased use of UAVs led to a midair collision with a helicopter in 2004. Although no one was hurt in the incident, it raised the safety concerns over the use of the aircraft.

Source: Xinhua