Return-to-base capability distinguishes two-way drones from one-way cruise missiles

Evidence

The ability to return to base is the main difference between armed drones and cruise missiles: “Although cruise missiles are closely related ancestors to UCAVs, they differ because they are one-way platforms, where UCAVs are two-way… . [T]he ability to return to base after completing the mission to fight another day is the primary difference between UCAVs and cruise missiles,” as the latter “do not return to base when the mission is complete.” — Grégoire Chamayou, A Theory of the Drone, 763

Categorization

• DEFINE: Clarifies the technical distinction between UCAVs and cruise missiles via return-to-base capability.
• XREF: connects to: Drones differ from cruise missiles by being reusable rather than single-use projectiles.; A drone is a reusable platform, unlike a one-shot missile — Grégoire Chamayou, A Theory of the Drone, 147

Related

• Drones differ from cruise missiles by being reusable rather than single-use projectiles. (similarity 0.93)
• A drone is a reusable platform, unlike a one-shot missile (similarity 0.89)

Broader Connections

• A drone is a reusable platform, unlike a one-shot missile #expands (0.85) — Grégoire Chamayou, A Theory of the Drone, 147