The capabilities of drones today do not match those of manned helicopters for many situations that require more than an "eye in the sky."
Yet, they can be a much cheaper alternative for some applications and they can be immediately deployable when compared to the time required to put a helicopter in the air during a nonscheduled flight period.
Let's face it, helicopters are expensive. To start with, one that has good mission capabilities is going to run around $2.5M. Then you can plan on that much every year to keep the helicopter flying. These operational costs include crew, training, maintenance, spare parts and fuel.
Drones will continue to grow in capability, but it is likely a full generation before we see a drone replacing a manned helicopter — if then.
What is not being talked about much — yet — is the deployment of ground- and water-based drones to augment public safety. I recall seeing a drone boat, six years ago, maybe 45 feet long being sent via the Port of Tacoma to an Asian port to be used for security of their harbors. There will be autonomous vehicles and devices of every shape and size coming soon.
